I've Got Strings
by DokturProfesur
Summary: Flandre Scarlet has always been a troublemaker, and to help her get over this problem, Remilia Scarlet wants a perfect friend to be made from the ground up. With the help of local magician Alice Margatroid, Patchouli sets out to find the means to make a companion for the younger Scarlet, and in doing so creates more trouble than Flandre could ever make on her own.
1. Propositions 101

_Foreword,_

_If any of you remember me, you'll know that I had this ridiculously long fic called Shortcomings Manifest. However, since I got a job I don't have the time to devote myself to a ten-thousand word a chapter goal anymore, plus I can't read it on my breaks. Ergo, for my own selfish reasons I have decided to make the chapters more... bitesize._

_I'm sure you really don't care, so I'll just get to the nitty gritty. This is the beginning of SM, as well as the beginning of my rewrite. If you haven't read SM I'd rather you didn't, because there'll be actual surprises if you don't. If you have, well it'll be fun to see where that monster came from, eh? If you could, try not to spoil too much for the readers that take my advice and steer clear of the old fic._

_With that said, let us begin._

* * *

_They started with good intentions. Honest._

"Patchouli, can you spare a moment?"

The pale magician in question glanced over her book, spotting the mistress of the Scarlet Devil Mansion herself. Silently she closed her novel, giving the vampire her undivided attention. "For you, of course. What is on your mind, Remilia?"

The Scarlet Devil shifted in her stance, clearly vexed by something. "It's Flandre," she said. "I've been growing more and more worried. She's been shunning us."

"I believe she's finally embraced her isolation," Patchouli answered. "Perhaps if you acted sooner things would be different."

"She needs company," Remilia said, taking a seat at Patchouli's desk, "however I am hard-pressed to find someone she can't kill."

Patchouli hummed as she drew circles on her desk with a finger, "you mean those boytoys you keep kidnapping? I told you she'd mistreat them." With a casual wave of her hand the book the magician had once been reading lifted off and drifted out of sight, replaced by another, far thicker tome. "What do you suggest I do then? It's not like I can just make something that can't... just... make something... hmm..."

The corners of Remilia's lips twitched in amusement as she reclined in her seat. "I take it that's not the case?"

Patchouli found her thin lips twisting into a small smile. "On second thought, perhaps I can make something, and I know just who to ask to make this a reality."

"You're speaking of the Romanian, yes?" Remilia asked.

Patchouli dipped her head in affirmation. "The very same. I think one of her little dolls would be the perfect companion for dear Flandre."

"I'll send Sakuya for her."

Patchouli held up a hand. "I don't think sending Sakuya is a good idea, plus she's better use here anyway. All the other maids don't have the collective brainpower to complete more than one menial task at a time. I'd much rather just barter with-"

Just then Koakuma arrived on the scene, carrying a tea set on a tray. "Her highness' tea," she said, presenting the tray to Patchouli.

The magician sighed, her brow furrowing as soon as she registered the voice. "Stop calling me that, you accursed familiar." Regardless of her distaste, she took a cup, "now where was I?" she asked before taking a generous sip of tea.

"I believe you were going to tell Remilia about your expected guest?" Koakuma offered.

"Ah yes, I- wait how did you know that?"

The redheaded devil snickered cheekily. "Oh no particular tells, just that you've been preparing all day like a housewife awaiting her beloved husband."

Remilia couldn't help a snicker as Patchouli chased off the positively giddy Koakuma. The vampire helped herself to a cup of tea as the two bolted overhead, Koakuma still taunting the pale magician to no end. After a few choice incineration spells the devil disappeared, allowing the already exhausted Patchouli to return to Remilia. "I'll just... I'll just have Marisa do it," she huffed, collapsing in her seat.

"And here I thought you were enemies," Remilia said with a cheeky expression on her face. "You two regularly call in favors?"

The pale magician sighed, reclining in her seat. "I'd rather not delve into the mechanics, Remilia. Bottom line: I'll take care of everything."

The Scarlet Devil floated out of her seat. "I'll hold you to that, Patchouli. Let me know how things go." With that said she drifted off to other parts of the mansion, leaving Patchouli to collect her thoughts.

"Forging an undying minion... the applications are endless. I look forward to seeing the avenues that open up to me."

**=][=**

"Hello? Patchy?" an innocent voice filled the library halls. "It's Marisa! I came to make a withdrawal!" No response from Patchouli, and it seemed the library was empty. Slowly the magician drifted through the rafter window on her broom. "Are you seriously not here? I'll just steal everything if you aren't!"

Still nothing.

Marisa sighed, gliding down to the floor before hopping off of her broom. "Well this is no fun..." Almost halfheartedly she began to sift through the myriad of tomes that filled the bookshelves. "I was hoping for another tussle..."

On cue a glyph buried under Marisa's feet burned with a white-hot intensity. At the sight a manic grin found its way on the magician's face. "That's more like it!" Sparks shot from the glyph as it burned brighter and brighter. Marisa summoned her broom and took off, the glyph exploding behind her in a show of smoke and ember. "Where are you Patchouli?!" Marisa called, drawing a spellcard from her pocket. "Now I know you're in here!"

From the darkness shot forth several crystal shards. Marisa easily shot each of them down with a well-placed volley. "It's no fun this way, Patchy! Come out and fight like a woman!"

Patchouli conjured an ember to float at her side, illuminating the darkness and exposing her position to Marisa. "I'll indulge you for now, little witch. However once you have your fun I want to talk."

"About what?"

"You'll know when it comes up," the pale magician retorted, waving a hand in front of herself and leaving a trail of glittering stars. "In the meantime there's a couple new spells I need to field-test." Patchouli swung her hand through the stars, causing them to hurl forward with great speed.

Marisa barely had time to react, diving to the side just before the stars made contact. She felt one nick her shoulder, ripping through her clothes and tearing her skin easily. She let out a cry, clutching her weeping shoulder. "What the hell, Patchy?!"

"Like I said, I invented a spell or two. Your arrival was most timely," Patchouli answered serenely. "Now then, let's see what happens when I do _this_." With another wave of her hand another series of stars reformed. She set her hand in the midst of the glittering shards, balling it into a fist. In response to this the lights collected, transforming into a rhomboid crystal. "I look forward to seeing the results of physical contact," she said, letting the shard hurl forth.

Thinking it was like the other crystal spell, Marisa tried shooting it down with some danmaku fire. The thing just soaked it up, practically ate the bullets. Marisa shifted to the side, letting the shard rip past her. "Maybe you should make these things home in or something!"

Patchouli smirked, gesturing for Marisa to turn around with her index finger.

Marisa obliged, just as the crystal nailed her in the back and threw her off of her broom. "No fair!" she cried.

"Tell that to Hakurei!" Patchouli shouted in retort, which was followed up by a quick cough. "Ugh... I'm not used to shouting."

Back down below Marisa slapped against the ground with a grunt. She rolled on her back, and spotted that stupid rock bearing down on her. "Oh come on!" She rolled aside, the thing impaling the spot she was once lied, she shot daggers at the pale magician above. "You trying to kill me, Patchouli?!"

Patchouli couldn't contain herself. "Three, two, one..."

The crystal promptly exploded, throwing Marisa into a nearby bookshelf. Marisa bounced off the shelf and slapped against the hardwood floors with a powerful thud. "I'm not impressed!" she shouted indignantly as she struggled to her feet, "I bet I can do that too!"

The pale magician rolled her eyes as she glided down to Marisa's side. "So, can you spare a-"

"_Master Spark!_"

Patchouli was swiftly swallowed in a beam of light. She was lifted off her feet, pushed skyward by the attack, and prudently smashed against the ceiling. Marisa let the relatively weak Master Spark die out before any real damage was made, allowing Patchouli to drop to the floor with a loud thud.

The pale magician sat for quite some time, breathing softly. Eventually she had enough, letting out a grunt she slowly drug herself to her feet, staring blankly at Marisa. "I'll admit I may have deserved that."

Marisa replied with a rude gesture.

"Now then, on to more pressing concerns," Patchouli began jarringly, collecting herself in an instant. "I have a favor to ask of you, concerning knowledge I don't have." The pale magician conjured a table and some chairs, taking a seat in one and gesturing for Marisa to join her.

Hesitantly the girl complied, still waiting for another crystal spell. "That's it?" she asked. "You nearly impale me on an exploding spike, and the next thing I know we're being civil?"

"Like I said: more pressing concerns," Patchouli answered simply. "You are acquainted with an Alice Margatroid?"

"_Yyyeah_...?" Marisa drawled. "How does that concern you?"

Patchouli reclined in her seat. "I require her skills in the art of manufacturing dolls."

The young magician leaned forward. "For what, exactly?"

"I'll be willing to tell you more if you grant me an audience with her," Patchouli answered cheekily, "if you want some insight into what I have in store for the future, then you'll have to hasten its reality."

Marisa stroked her chin in quiet contemplation, "can you sweeten the deal by any chance?" she asked, "I don't just make leaps without compensation."

"Fair enough, what exactly can I do to make you more willing?" Patchouli asked.

Marisa already knew the answer. "That spell, the exploding crystal, that meteor shower spell, I want them," a brief pause, "as a down payment."

"Tell you what. I'll give you my notes on one now, and you'll get the other-plus the insight into what I'm doing-when you bring Alice here." Patchouli spat in her palm and held out her hand. "Deal?"

Marisa reeled for only a second before parroting the gesture. "Deal."

_To think it all began thanks to a slimy handshake._

* * *

_Short, I know, but this is actually the shortest chapter I've written for the story. Yeah believe it or not I've got chapters written up in advance. Fancy that._

_Feel free to speak any concerns or the like in your reviews, or even PM me. I'm a nice guy, I promise. I'm going to try to respond to every one I get so that'll be fun._

_Until the next chapter, friends and readers. Have a great day._


	2. The Lizard in the Lake

_Foreword,_

_I don't have much to say this time, I just wanted to post another chapter since the first one was so short._

_Be warned, there's a gratuitous reference just beyond the bold line._

* * *

"Yes... yes. This is a fertile land, where we will thrive," Stegosaurus said to Tyrannosaurus, gesturing to the verdant valley before them with his forelimb. "We shall rule over all this land, and we will call it... _This Land_."

Tyrannosaurus turned to Stegosaurus, his flesh-ripping teeth bared, "I think we should call it _Your Grave_!" he snarled maliciously.

"Aaah!" Stegosaurus responded, reeling back, "curse your sudden, but inevitable betrayal!"

"Ahaha!" Tyrannosaurus laughed, malice and evil rolling out of the bowels of his throat, "mine is an evil laugh! Now die!"

The two plastic toys clashed, Tyrannosaurus easily gaining the upper hand over Stegosaurus. Meanwhile the little girl deciding their each move was ecstatic. "Yes! Fight and die for my amusement!" she cried, smashing the two toys together again and again as she imagined their bloody combat.

The Scarlet sister was torn from her fantasy of betrayal when she heard a knock on her door. "Come in!" she answered.

Through the door came Patchouli, looking a little ragged for one reason or another. "Flandre, do you have a moment?"

"If it's from my sister, buzz off," Flandre shooed, "I got a story to tell," with that she returned to her dinosaur toys.

"How would you like a friend?" Patchouli asked.

"You mean like all them?" Flandre asked, gesturing to the bones crammed into a bloody corner of her room, "no thanks."

"We all know why you're doing that, Flandre," Patchouli responded, "know that your sister has nothing to do with what I have in mind, this is all me."

"Oh?" Flandre asked, suddenly interested, "so _you're_ gonna bring me someone this time?"

Patchouli nodded, "and this one is physiologically incapable of death."

Flandre cocked her head, "that's a really funny word, Patchy."

"They can't die," Patchouli reiterated flatly.

The Scarlet sister's eyes lit up with comprehension, "oh, cool! I hope they come fast!"

"All in due time," Patchouli said as she retreated from Flandre's room, a smile gracing her thin lips as she turned her back on the Scarlet sister.

Flandre lied down on her bed after Patchouli left, toys forgotten, interested more in the prospect of what the magician was doing. Images kept running through her imagination, ideas of what her playmate would look like. Small, large, fuzzy, bald, scaly, friends of all kinds of shapes and sizes played in her mind.

She started humming a familiar tune, a song she always listened to on that record player Remilia got her; the only song she had to use it with. As her fantasy friend took a more consistent shape, Flandre found the lyrics.

_"Mister Sandman, bring me a dream._

_ Make him the cutest that I've ever seen._

_ Give him two lips, like roses and clover._

_ Then tell me that my lonesome nights are over."_

Flandre got out of bed, sauntering over to her record player with a frown. On a whim she started it up, listening to the song play out. On the second verse the lyrics seemed to fade away to Flandre as she danced around her room, singing in tune with the music.

_"Sandman, I'm so alone._

_ Don't have nobody to call my own._

_ Please won't turn on your magic beam?_

_ Mister Sandman, bring me a dream."_

Flandre stopped in front of her mirror, staring at her reflection thoughtfully. She puckered her lips at her reflection briefly before her lips settled back into a thoughtful frown, "I wonder if they'll be a good kisser." Flandre giggled at the thought, "oh that won't be a problem! I'll just teach them how!" Flandre's reflection was now smiling brightly, she was actually getting excited over this. "I'm gonna have the bestest friend ever if Patchy is on the case."

**=][=**

Floating outside the mansion on her broom was a familiar magician, who was currently going on about her hand. "I can't believe that Patchouli does that. Outside traditions are so gross," Marisa mused to herself as she wiped her slimy hand on her shirt, "but... a favor's a favor, I guess I should hop to it then."

After a quick back and forth with the resident gatekeeper, Marisa went on her way, flying over the lake that embraced the Scarlet mansion. The magician hadn't even made it halfway across when she spotted something a little off. There was a group of fairies dropping ice blocks into the lake... which they had rigged to explode beneath the waves.

Quirking a brow, Marisa decided to saunter over and see what was up. She quickly spotted someone familiar, the green fairy Daiyousei, and decided it would probably be best to ask her. "Oi Daiyousei!" Marisa called to the fairy, "what're you guys up to?"

Daiyousei looked over her shoulder, spotting a curious Marisa. "Ah, Marisa!" she chirped happily, "we're on a rescue mission!"

Marisa scratched the back of her head, "rescue mission?"

Daiyousei nodded with a face of urgency and purpose. "There's a big nasty water dragon in the lake that's been eating all of our friends! We're dropping exploding iceblocks in there to get his attention!"

Marisa immediately had an issue with a story. "Daiyousei, you know nobody's seen a dragon in hundreds of years, right?"

"I'm not entirely sure but it's all I got!" Daiyousei countered.

"You sure you're not trying to piss off some salamander or something?" Marisa asked.

"He has scales, not really slimy skin!" the fairy said, "I've lived long enough to tell the difference between a salamander and whatever this is!"

Marisa folded her arms skeptically, but spotting the shards of ice that exploded from beneath the waves of the lake illustrated that the fairies meant business. "Any luck with that?"

"N-not so far," Daiyousei said, "but I'm sure we'll find him soon!"

"It looks like all you folks are killing is fish," Marisa observed, watching the dead carp rise from the water.

"That's part of the plan!" Daiyousei beamed, "Cirno figured that since he's hungry we get a bunch of dead fish in one place and he won't be able to resist!"

Marisa couldn't help applauding. "Thats... clever, and from Cirno no less."

"Look a wake! The dragon's over there!"

"It's a lizard you idiot!"

"Salamander! Salamander!"

At the sound of the commotion Marisa turned, spotting a rather large shadow make its way through the water. It looked to be about four or five meters in length, quite the bulk of a creature. The shadow made several sweeps around the mass of dead fish as the fairies above made ready to attack.

"Alright you stupid beast! You wanna eat? Well eat this!" suddenly Cirno was on the scene, hurling a large dodecahedron of ice at the beast below.

She missed horribly.

"Masterful shot, most honorable general Cirno," one fairy said halfheartedly as the rest looked on.

"Really? Well I don't mean to brag..." Cirno said with a blush as she began to conjure another mass of ice.

Marisa just hung back, watching the fairies provoke the leviathan in the lake.

The shadow briefly shrunk and faded, but then returned with a vengeance. The leviathan rocket up from beneath the waves, instantly snapping up a moderately innocent fairy that had strayed too close to the water. Cirno immediately hurled her hunk of ice at the beast, already forming another in her free hand as the projectile exploded against the dragon-thing's slimy skin.

The demon let out an annoyed grunt as the shards of ice bounced off its armored hide, unceremoniously flopping back into the lake. The leviathan was quickly on the move again as the fairies pelted its shadow with embers, stones, ice-balls, anything and everything they could find.

Marisa eyed the shadow with uncertainty. That thing looked nothing like the pictures of ancient dragons Aya had shown her, it was too short and a bit on the fat side, plus it had no whiskers. But it had the teeth of a dragon alright, those ghastly teeth that looked like they could easily shear through whatever was unfortunate enough to get caught between those mighty jaws.

"Get him, get him, **get him!**" Cirno ordered, hurling more ice blocks at the beast below.

The fairies tried herding the scaly hulk toward the shore, but all it did was gobble up whoever dared to get in front of it. Marisa counted the casualties: one fairy, two, three, five; okay, that was it. Pulling a card from her pocket she decided to zoom over and introduce herself to the monster. Youkai or not, she wasn't going to just watch this.

The dragon smacked one of Cirno's ice blocks with its tail, batting it into the fairy squadron above, when it was hit in the face with a spark of lighting. The thing snorted, its mucus-colored eyes glancing skyward. Right above, Marisa was hanging off of her broom by the insteps of her feet. She grinned a goofy grin at the leviathan, "Heyas!" she greeted cheerily, "Kirisame Marisa! I'm going to be kicking your ass today!"

The dragon ducked below the water, smacking its tail against the surface and splashing the magician as it went below the waves. Marisa scoffed at the thing's audacity as she wrung the filthy lake water out of her hair, "well that's polite," she mused out loud as the fairies regrouped and started dropping ice bombs in the water once more.

The monster rocket out of the water, snatching Marisa's broom between its jaws. The young magician let out a shrill cry, those twisted gnashing teeth just barely missing her legs. Marisa kicked off of the monster's snout, lifting off as it reached the apex of its jump.

Prize in jaw, the beast dove back into the sea, but Marisa was quick to react. She cried out for her broom, diving into the water with gusto in pursuit of the monster.

The lake water was incredibly murky, the magician could barely make out the shimmering shards of magical ice in the water, but little else. Marisa prayed that Cirno could hold back until she got back out of the water, at least until she got her damn broom.

Marisa was torn from her prayers when she spotted a pair of lights deep in the murk, dancing about and flickering energetically. She tried swimming over, when it hit her just what she was doing. She was in that scaly beast's element now, and she had just provoked it.

The lights became the gaze of a reptilian hulk as they drew near and illuminated its silhouette. The dragon slowed its pace as it drew near, sizing up its prey like any over-confident predator would. Marisa cast a spell for unending breath, just so she could spit expletives at the beast as it cruised past her, bumping her with its narrow snout before diving deeper into the muddy blackness of the lake. The magician panicked, desperately swimming up to escape the leviathan, charging headlong into one of Cirno's depth charges.

The gears in Marisa's brain spun as she looked down, spotting the eyes of the monster in the murk and noting their growing size. Mustering all of her strength Marisa swam with all haste toward the ice block. Her blood ran cold when the dragon behind her let out a low groan that filled the deep; she doubled her efforts. Reaching the ice block, Marisa clawed her way on top of it. Down below the dragon gained, ghastly maw open wide and oblivious to the danger. She kicked the block down.

The ice block lodged itself in the leviathan's mouth. It swung its head in an attempt the throw it aside, and the block exploded in retort. Shards of ice tore holes in its throat and shattered its jaw, thick blood filling the water as the stunned beast flailed about. The dragon shook its head as its gut pulsed and shifted, out of its broken jaws swam several fairies. Marisa looked on, both glad she could help the fairies, and somewhat pitying the creature.

The dragon let out an anguished groan as it swam off, leaving Marisa to be carried to the surface by the thankful fairies. As soon as she left the water, she could hear the fairies up above celebrating, Cirno taking all the credit for the victory. "That's right!" the fairy cried, "that was _my_ ice block!"

Marisa snickered, but said nothing. However... she never got her broom back. Marisa frowned as she looked back at the water, rather disappointed. "Well I got soaked for nothing," she said.

"There it is!"

Marisa quirked a brow, spotting the scaly hulk beach itself on the shores, staining the wet soil with its blood. The fairies made their way over, and immediately set about pelting the thing with ice and stones. The dragon let out a low groan, shifting weakly; unable to retreat.

"Hey!" Marisa called, "leave the poor thing alone!" she shouted, floating over.

Cirno looked rather insulted, "he tried eating all my friends!"

"He's suffered enough for trying to survive, just leave him be," Marisa said, "he's probably going to bleed to death anyway, just go celebrate your victory."

Cirno and the other fairies scrutinized the dragon keenly, "fine," the ice fairy said, "we'll let him die slowly then," with that said they flew off, jeering and laughing at the monster below as they faded into the forest thicket ahead.

Marisa sighed, landing next to the beast and taking a moment to gently rub its side; a gesture of good faith. "Hey big guy," she greeted with a tinge of regret. "You know, up close I can tell you're not a dragon, if you were I'd prolly be dead," an awkward laugh, "I wish it didn't have to end like this." Marisa paused, face taking on a thoughtful expression. "You know what?" she asked the beast, "I'm not the kind of lady to go killing animals all willy-nilly, you're just trying to survive so let me give you a hand."

The black leviathan shifted, taking a deep breath and exhaling as the magician continued.

"Here," Marisa's hand gained a heavenly glow as she continued to stroke the lizard's abused flesh. "I'll give you a second chance, so don't waste it on Cirno and her friends, okay?" she winked playfully. Some of its strength returning, the dragon-thing hissed loudly, trying to scare Marisa off. The magician laughed sweetly, "alright big guy, I'll be coming back with a leash and collar though, alright?" With a smack on its armored side, she returned to her journey to Alice's, leaving the beast to its devices.

The dragon let out a low groan as it watched Marisa disappear in the forest thicket. It slowly clawed away at the earth, trying to move as its strength gradually returned. It started with an agonizing drag, then quickly evolved into a slow shuffle, until finally the black leviathan mustered the strength to lift itself off of the ground. The creature glanced around, sniffing the air intently. This lake was no longer suitable, it was time to travel elsewhere. With that the beast lumbered off, making its way through the forest with quite a ruckus.

Meanwhile across the lake, Hong Meiling was stunned. The gatekeeper blinked a few times, watching what looked like a colossal plated lizard disappear into the forest with wide eyes. "I didn't think they existed here," she mused aloud, wonder in her voice. "Why does all the cool stuff happen to everyone else?"

* * *

_As always, your thoughts are appreciated._

_Until next chapter, have a great day everyone._


	3. Note to Self: Rabbits Have Friends

_Today's chapter of Strings is brought to you by Jolly Ranchers._

* * *

Even if it was an over-sized reptile, the dragon-thing could still be quiet when the situation suited it. The beast was starving, it needed something to eat soon if it kept moving like this, the bile rising from its parched throat was proof enough of that. Creatures like it were crafty, however the monster had a fit of brilliance the likes of which its kin would have never experienced. The leviathan took a moment to swallow what starving bile had been building in its gizzard before hunkering down. Alternating between its forelimbs and hind-limbs, the monster set about digging a pit, and after it was satisfied with the depth it used its long tail to sweep the loose soil over itself, effectively burying its body in warm soil.

Beneath the waves, an ambush was its method of choice, and while water was nowhere to be found, dirt would certainly suffice. The scaly leviathan waited, closing its eyes and conserving what little energy it had gained thanks to that biped with the loud mouth, for it would need every extra second it could spare to bring down whatever strayed close enough to hazard an attack.

Many things had wandered into the general area the obsidian hulk had chosen to host its little ambush, but most of these things were small and were not worth the struggle. So the creature found itself waiting patiently, swallowing the bile that rose out of its throat in protest to starvation every so often.

**=][=**

"That was so _cool_! I can't wait to tell Reimu that I fought a big lizard! No, wait until Patchy finds out! She's going to be so _livid_ that I found an undiscovered species living right under her smarmy nose!"

All things considered, Marisa thought this was going to be the best day ever. Meet a budding species, get a couple of spells, go say hi to Alice, just top it off with a tea party with Reimu and Marisa could die a happy girl. The magician briefly wondered how the leviathan was actually faring after she gave him a boost, but quickly dismissed it when Alice's residence came into view. Marisa took a moment to gussy herself up a bit before touching down on her porch. The magician rapped loudly on the door, "yo Alice! It's Marisa! You gotta hear about what I just did today!"

Alice's front door swung open, nearly clocking the magician in the face. Marisa dodged, noting that no one was there- wait, there was Shanghai down below, looking at Marisa with an even expression. Marisa waved, offering a cheeky smile. The doll rolled her eyes at the sight of Marisa, gesturing halfheartedly for her to come in. "Thanks!" the magician chirped, allowing herself inside. Shanghai closed the door, her annoyed expression refusing to diminish in the slightest. "So where's Alice?" Marisa asked.

Shanghai's gaze drifted about lazily for a spell before her plastic lips parted, "back," she said evenly. She halfheartedly gestured for Marisa to follow as she sauntered off. Marisa was quick to match her pace, somewhat curious, Shanghai never looked so annoyed to see her before.

It wasn't long before Shanghai led Marisa out back, and there was Alice, coated in some kind of bloody mucus. The Romanian woman muttered angrily in her native tongue, "_f__utu-ți pizda mă-tii._"

Marisa blushed when she replayed the words in her head.

Alice's hands started glowing softly as she wiped the red stuff on her clothing. The bloody substance caught fire, burning away the substance in a pure white flame before fizzling out harmlessly.

Marisa's eyes fell to the ground, noting that there was a trail of this red substance leading back inside.

"Marisa," Shanghai said curtly before retreating back inside.

Alice whipped around, eyes locking with Marisa's. Boy they were bloodshot. "What do you want, Marisa? I'm a little busy at the moment."

"W-with what?" Marisa asked. "What gets you covered in stale blood?"

Alice let out a sigh, "I'm afraid I can't tell you, Marisa," Alice paused to let Marisa whine, "it's for your own safety."

"But I live for danger!" Marisa shouted, punching at the air wildly, "let me see it!"

Alice shook her head, burning off the last of the bloody substance, "its potential in the wrong hands is too great, this is simply the result of me dabbling in things I know little about. Now do tell me what you want, if you please? I need to get back to my research."

Marisa coughed nervously, Alice's attitude rather jarring. She was usually so reserved. "S-so check this out," Marisa began, "Patchouli was askin' if I could come down and bother you, get you over to the library for some kind of 'proposition', what I don't know."

Alice's arms folded as she found her frown deepening, "A proposition?" the Romanian woman parroted. "Surely you jest."

"No jesterin' here!" Marisa retorted quickly. "That's just what she told me to tell you. I don't think she wants me to know what she's gonna ask you."

Alice stared hard at her friend, waiting for the request to pass the blonde magician's lips, however for some reason it never came. Alice smirked, still catching the silent question, "sure," she finally said. "I'll talk to Patchouli so you can find out what's going on."

Marisa pumped her fists in victory.

=][=

Routine.

Oh how she loathed that word. Every day, the same commute, the same schlock, the same conversations. All she was good for were those bloody deliveries. No adventures, no assassinations, no throwing people out airlocks...

Sometimes she missed the moon, as much as she hated her benefactors. Life with Eirin was so dull, at least with the sisters in the heavens she had some fun now and again.

"Oh get over it Udongein," the woman said to herself, hefting her pack before continuing her trek through the woods. "Not much you can do now. Just keep on keepin' on." The rabbit sighed at her lame attempt at self-encouragement, sometimes she just didn't want to get out of bed anymore.

Udongein's ears twitched, noticing she was undergoing a massive growth-spurt. As giddy as she may have been about the prospect of being taller than everyone else, her cotton-tail shivered in suspicion. Trust the tail, Udongein. She started to run, and much to her dismay she quickly shrunk.

Behind the rabbit the earth sundered into a cloud of dust and soil, a hulking reptilian shape erupting from the dark below. The rabbit shouted an expletive or two in dismay, redoubling her pace when she noticed just how big the thing was. The pursuing shadow snapped its jaws at her, filling the air with a bony clap that made Udongein shudder, her pace faltering slightly. "P-parlay!" she shouted, the only other thing she could think of besides running. However the monster did not stop, instead its bastard gallop hastened.

Then Udongein remembered she could fly.

The rabbit kicked off the ground, clearing her thoughts, dismissing the stress that came with being attacked by a hulking mystery predator, all that was on her mind was the sky. Her feet left the earth, an immense feeling of relief over-swept her, then something crushed her leg, and she was drug down—brutally slammed into the cold, unforgiving soil.

Udongein had enough, she drew a pistol. She pulled the trigger frantically and with reckless abandon, pouring her entire clip into the monster's plated skull. She could hear the sound of her bullets smacking against the beast's armored head, ringing as boisterously as her firearm. It sounded like she was shooting at a solid metal wall, not what should be bone.

The thing groaned and reeled back, planting its clawed foot on Udongein as it shook its head dizzily. Taking advantage of the lull, Udongein replaced her empty clip, and then proceeded to fire at the beast's foot. While covered in hard scales, they offered much less resistance than the skull, each shot releasing a generous helping of thick blood. Another low groan, and the foot retreated. Udongein didn't even get a chance to put some distance between herself and the monster when its powerful jaws snatched up her arm. She cried out in agony as a grotesque snapping sound filling the air. Her pistol was gone, washed down the monster's gullet by copious amounts of saliva.

Then the beast let out a yelp, its powerful jaws loosening as it was magically yanked away. Udongein stared in awe as some madwoman with white hair swung the hulk by the tail into the brush.

"H-hey!" the lunar rabbit greeted between sharp breaths. "Thanks for the help!" Udongein didn't spare a glance at her rescuer, focusing on fixing her arm. She grabbed her broken limb, and sucked in a large breath. She closed her eyes, sparing herself only a moment to prepare before she snapped her arm back into place. She let out an anguished whine, desperately trying to suck up any tears. It wasn't working out too well.

"Don't mention it, Reisen."

Udongein's ears twitched, gaze snapping to the woman ahead, "M-Mokou?!"

The ash-haired girl huffed before diverting her gaze to the shifting bamboo thicket. Slowly the black hulk re-emerged, stomping brazenly back into the clearing to reclaim its prey. Mokou's fists ignited, ready to challenge the bastard creature. The monster slapped its tail against the earth, its eyes fixed on Reisen. Mokou spat a fireball in front of the beast's gaze, garnering its attention. "If you want the rabbit you're going through me," Mokou jabbed her chest with a thumb for emphasis, "or you can just turn around and go."

The black thing hissed, stepping forward. Mokou sighed, poor animal. She sprinted toward the predator, who charged at her with its mouth wide. Fujiwara sidestepped at the last second, grabbing the scaly hulk by the throat and pulling it into a strong headlock. The reptile tucked its legs in and writhed into a spin, its protruding canines tearing at Mokou's bicep and chest before she was forced to let go. The noble fell back as the black dragon settled on its clawed feet, turning to face Mokou once more. She hazarded a peek at her wounds, noting the copious amount of blood she was already leaking, "you got a nice set of pearly whites on you, leaving a wound like that."

The thing charged Mokou once again, and she was ready. Mokou hurled herself at the beast, bringing her flaming fist to bear, smashing it square between the monster's eyes. The thing's body buckled as it stumbled out of its charge, collapsing into a heap. Mokou landed on the unconscious beast's back, panting softly, forced to take a moment and process that she actually had just beaten the beast. At least it went down fast, although she had to wonder why Reisen had so much trouble. The noble turned to Udongein to address this, "this thing? Really Reisen?"

"H-he jumped me!" Reisen retorted hotly, "plus he's freaking bullet proof!"

The two sat in silence for a while, uncertain on what to say next. Mokou never was good at these social things, especially when it was being social with a friend of Kaguya's. "So..." Mokou grasped for something to talk about.

"So?" Reisen huffed, holding her limp arm gingerly as she stared at her sprain leg.

"Did you need help getting back to Eintei?" Mokou tried.

Udongein sighed, "I was beginning to wonder if you'd ever offer," she said. "Do you mind?"

"Yes, but it's not right to leave someone crippled in the woods with her sleeping attacker," Mokou said as she made her way over. She stood helplessly while Reisen waited expectantly, and after much not getting accomplished Udongein walked Mokou through the process of helping her tie her arm to a tree branch to keep it from bending in any awkward angles.

Mokou took the medicine bag off of Reisen's hands and slung it over her shoulder before helping the lunar rabbit to her feet. A quick glance around to get her bearings was all it took and Fujiwara started off, lunar rabbit in tow. Together, they left the sleeping reptile to its fate.

* * *

_Not much I really want to say this chapter, so as always: have a pleasant day, and see you next chapter._


	4. The Hunt Begins

_Foreword,_

_Hello reader (pretty sure there's at least one), if you're reading this, then prepare for plot. I realize these rather short chapters aren't for everybody, again it's just so I can read them on my tens. I hope you'll enjoy this small offering as you would other works._

_Today's chapter of strings was impeded by my coworkers._

* * *

While the monster recovered from its encounter with Mokou, Marisa was returning to the Scarlet Devil Mansion, Alice in tow.

"I'm assuming this is not a common occurrence?" Alice asked as the mansion came into view.

"Patchy never needs help with anything, she usually already knows," Marisa answered, twirling about mid-flight to keep herself amused. "You must know some pretty intense stuff for Patchy to call you down."

Alice shifted uncomfortably.

The pair of friends made their way over to the mansion gate, where the gatekeeper Meiling was actually waving them down. Curious, Marisa drifted down, close enough so she didn't have to shout. Alice followed suit. "What's up, Chinagirl?" Marisa asked with a cheeky grin.

The redhead in green huffed, "it's Mei-"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," Marisa waved dismissively, touching down a few paces before her. "So what's up?"

The gatekeeper folded her arms, huffing once again. "What was the deal with that giant lizard in the lake?"

Marisa chuckled at the memory. "Oh that thing? He thought fairies were part of a complete breakfast. Don't worry, I sorted him out," she concluded proudly, hands setting on her hips as she struck a heroic pose.

Meiling raised a brow at that. "Mind telling me what it was?"

Marisa blinked, looking to Alice helplessly, who looked just as curious. "Uh... I'm not really sure to be honest. Some big scaly beasty, that's all I can really say." Marisa shrugged sheepishly. "Sorry."

"I guess I should rephrase my question then," the gatekeeper said. "Is there a chance that thing might come here?"

"Why would you care? Couldn't you just kick his ass and call it a day?" Marisa asked.

Meiling shrugged, leaning into a humanoid depression in the brick wall that wrapped around the mansion. "I could, but there was something about it that struck me. Made me think of an old folktale I heard a long time ago."

Marisa quirked a brow, "mind tellin' me?"

"I doubt it's actually a Jiaolong, don't worry," the Chinagirl waved it off. "Go on in, Patchouli's expecting you."

"Jiaolong..." Alice parroted. "The dragon or the river serpent?"

A shrill jolt went up Marisa's spine at the thought of besting a dragon.

"Either or," the gatekeeper said with a shrug, "I wouldn't be too concerned, but it's enough of a deal to keep an eye out for."

"Hey how do you know about that kind of stuff?" Marisa chimed in.

Alice shook her head, leading Marisa through the mansion gates. "Let's just find out what Patchouli wants."

The pair of magicians were ushered in by Sakuya, who led them to Koakuma, who in turn lead them to the famous library of the Scarlet Mansion. Marisa always had to wipe her mouth when she saw this place, each visit never got old. So many books, so much knowledge, she really wished she could cram it all into a baggy and beat feet before Patchouli knew what hit her.

Patchouli herself drifted into view just as Alice was about to bring her up, she was surrounded by several floating tomes, as usual. The pale girl glanced up, spotting the pair. She smiled, slammed her book shut and floated over. "Ah, Alice," she greeted, "_Încânt_**_a_**_t d_**_e _**_cunoşt_**_i_**_nţă_. _M_**_ă _**_num_**_e_**_sc-_"

"Patchouli, right?" Alice said with a giggle. "I'm impressed, your Romanian is flawless."

Patchouli curtsied. "You honor me, it's not often I get the chance to speak another language."

Alice couldn't help another laugh before returning the gesture. "In any case it is a pleasure to meet you as well."

With a casual wave of her hand Patchouli conjured a table and some chairs, as they settled on the ground the magician chose a seat, as did her guests. "Now then, since you're here I suppose it is time to get down to business," Patchouli began as her chair slid itself in. Alice and Marisa followed suit, the chairs doing most of the work. "Now then, you are a doll-maker, yes?"

Alice nodded, resting her elbows on the tabletop. "Da. Were you looking for a commission?"

"More... a collaboration," Patchouli said. "You have access to things I do not, skills I do not have."

Alice quirked a brow. "It's not that hard to pick up a needle and-"

"I don't need a doll of thread and stuffing, I need a doll of flesh and blood," Patchouli interrupted, clasping her hands together and setting them on the table. "Can you help me, Alice?"

Marisa looked between the two, "a meat doll? We talking like Frankenstein's Monster levels of godplay?"

"Exactly," Patchouli said. "I need a set of skilled hands for this endeavor, and you have some of the best." The pale magician gestured to Alice. "I am willing to compensate you in any way you see fit in exchange for your aid."

Alice seemed to grow more perturbed the more the conversation drug on. "And what exactly do you want from this flesh doll?"

"Immortality," Patchouli answered without pause. "I want a doll that cannot die, a doll that knows no fear and no pain. I want a doll whose sole purpose is to serve."

"A slave then?" Alice asked, her voice remaining rather casual. "And what would you have this slave do?"

The pale magician reclined in her seat, placing her clasped hands on her lap. "It is not what I would have it do, it is what Flandre will have it do."

"Excuse me?" Marisa jumped in. "You're letting _that_ get her grubby mitts on anything? That's just inviting disaster!"

"Tell me about this Flandre," Alice said. "So I may better know what will become of my work."

"Flandre's a nut-job, pure and simple," Marisa said.

"Flandre is a neglected child who doesn't know any better," Patchouli corrected.

"Doesn't know any better my ass! She nearly killed me!" Marisa rose out of her seat and slammed her hands on the table. "And you want to create a life just to torture for eternity? It's not right!"

"Sit down," Patchouli commanded. "This is Alice's decision, I don't need your morals clouding her thoughts."

"You make it sound like having a heart is inconvenient!" Marisa spat.

Alice placed a hand on Marisa's shoulder, forcing her back into her seat. "Calm down, you have nothing to do with this."

"B-but-!"

"Marisa, it is a construct. It's alive in the loosest sense of the word. At best, this doll will be no more complex than Shanghai," Alice tried to explain. "She's the result of this very thing, it was not painful for those involved. Their suffering was short-lived."

"Short lived? How many lives are you two going to burn out if you go through with this?" Marisa asked, her disgust growing. "H-how can you two be so casual about this?"

"Because we let go," Patchouli said. "You haven't."

Marisa stormed out, furious and in tears. Alice felt her heart sink, uncertain on how to proceed. "Mari-"

"Let her go. One day she will understand as we do, as all magicians do. She will see the world logically, in time," Patchouli said.

Alice frowned, watching Marisa's retreating form until it disappeared. She sighed, brushing some stray hairs behind her ear. "You know life cannot be created, it must be taken, broken, and reshaped," the Romanian began, eager to distract herself.

"I know this much," Patchouli responded. "How do we start?"

"We need to find something large, the larger the subject, the easier it is to shape. Also if Marisa is to be believed about this Flandre of yours, then we need something with an adaptable physiology, as the creation will take after the host." Alice looked to Patchouli, who looked back. There seemed to be a connection, for they both said the same thing.

"Reptiles?"

"It is true they can survive wounds that would kill any other animal," Patchouli said. "I suppose we just need to find one of reasonable size?"

"I already know what we need to look for," Alice said. "According to Marisa there's a beast with a taste for fairies roaming the outlying forests. Are you familiar with a Jiaolong?"

=][=

"_Master Spark!_"

A clap of thunder filled the air, and an intense light bored into the misty lake, sending water exploding into the air. Marisa watched the waves roll about, the water splash against the surface of the lake, the sense of disgust not fading. "Can't believe them," she snarled, priming her reactor for another shot. "Throwing away life so recklessly. _Master-_" she jumped when a hand found its way onto her shoulder. The magician whipped around, locking eyes with her friend Alice. "Oh... so, you take the offer?" Marisa asked bitterly, taking a moment to spit out some latent disgust.

Alice offered a small grimoire, held shut with a single leather strap. Marisa's frown deepened as she pushed it back into Alice's arms. "I don't want it anymore."

"You earned it after the whole monster story you told me," Alice said, offering the book once again. "Plus Patchouli was pretty adamant you-"  
"I don't want it, Alice!" Marisa snapped, slapping the grimoire out of her friend's hand.

"Marisa-"

"It's a construct, I know dammit," the young magician said. "It's just sick! To do that to any living creature, artificial or not..."

"I know your mind is made up on the matter, Marisa, but trust me" Alice began, trying to keep Marisa's gaze on her. "I will not let torture become of them, I will personally make sure of that."

"How's that?" Marisa asked, her bitterness replaced with curiosity.

"Flesh shaping is not something undertaken lightly, the shapen is the shaper's direct responsibility," Alice elaborated. "If Flandre will torture the poor thing, as you believe, then I will take them to someone who will treat them fairly."

Marisa paused, glancing aside, "you think maybe I could have it?"

Alice let out a small laugh, "so that's what it boils down to," she said, amusement clear, "I suppose if Flandre proves to be an unreliable caretaker I'll be forced to entrust them to someone I know will treat them fairly."

"But what do you think?" Marisa asked. "Do you think that little brat's gonna be a good mom?"

Alice's amused expression leveled out, "I believe she may." Marisa looked away, and Alice knew what she wanted to retort with. "I realize you have made up your mind about her, however, this is an opportunity. What if this helps Flandre—changes her for the better?" Alice asked, "that notion is what made me accept."

"Promise me no one will die," Marisa said, her face hidden behind her golden locks. "Just promise me that."

"I promise," Alice said evenly.

"Again."

"I promise."

"Again!" Marisa's head snapped up, her puffy red eyes boring straight into Alice's, broadcasting all that uncertainty. "This is a life we're talking about! Fake or not!"

"You have my word. Nobody will be hurt, least of all the doll," Alice said, placing a hand on Marisa's shoulder. "I promise you." Marisa's head dipped as she took off her hat, resting her forehead on Alice's shoulder. Alice decided to just hug it out, squeeze all those negative thoughts and doubts out of her best friend. "Trust me, as I trust you."

=][=

"China!"

Sputtering in a drunken stupor, Hong Meiling was forced out of her nap. "Wha-? Who?"

"We're going hunting."

Meiling craned her head around, recognizing the voice. And there, in classical safari-attire, was none other than- "no way," the Chinagirl had to stop and rub her eyes, in utter disbelief.

"Is something wrong?" Patchouli asked, hands firmly wrapped around the straps of her backpack.

Meiling made several strained noises, most of them sounding like a dying animal, before finally howling with laughter. Patchouli flushed, watching the girl slowly succumb to her giggle-fit. "I-I can't breathe!" Meiling dropped to one knee, planting a hand on the ground to support herself.

"Can you-"

Again Meiling started howling, "I can't- you in that gear is just-!"

"Enough!" Patchouli snapped, slapping the gatekeeper across the face. "Now get up and let's go, we have a dragon to find."

Meiling picked herself up, as ordered, rubbing her red cheek. "Jeez Patchy you got a good back- dragon?" she asked. "You mean that lizard living in the lake?"

"The very same," Patchouli answered, rubbing her reddened hand. "We need to capture it. Alive."

"That's a tall order, Patchouli."

"Which is precisely why you're coming with me, China," the pale magician retorted. "Now come along. We have a monster to find."

"Wait... _you're_ going?"

"Is there a problem with that?" Patchouli asked.

Meiling took one more moment to rub her eyes—make sure Patchouli here wasn't a hallucination. The girl remained in her vision, so Meiling started off with a shrug. "Best place to start would be the last place I saw it." The gatekeeper slowly lifted off, Patchouli quickly following suit.

"How long ago?" Patchouli asked as the two started the quick trip across the lake.

Meiling mulled it over briefly. "About three hours? Give or take ten or so minutes."

"Even a snail can cover a lot of ground in three hours," Patchouli said. "This will not be easy."

"You'd be wrong about that."

Patchouli bumped into Meiling, who had come to a full stop. Curious, the magician peeked around the chinawoman, spotting the distinct markings of a very large animal making its way up the shore and into the forest thicket. The tracks were pronounced, and the trail of broken branches and crushed foliage were conveniently defined. "Maybe this won't be so hard after all."

"Getting to it is one thing, I still gotta wrangle it," Meiling said. "Let's hope I can."

"I have faith," Patchouli responded.

Meiling laughed. "Let's be honest for a second, we both think it may be a jiaolong. It may not be an actual dragon, but it's gotta be something to survive a scrap with Marisa."

"However physically powerful it may be, it is still a dumb animal, I doubt it's a real threat," with that Patchouli started following the trail of broken brush, Meiling trailing close behind. With only a vague idea of what they'd find, the two companions set out to add another cog to their grand design.

=][=

"**Fire! Fire!**"

"Stop wasting ordinance you idiot!"

"It got Perez!"

"Tell my wife hello!"

They really had no idea where it came from. One minute they were doing their regular patrols, Mokou and Udongein stopped by, and the next thing they knew they were under attack by a colossal reptile with anger issues.

One of the rabbits ran along the monster's spine as it shredded one of his comrades. Leveling his rifle with the black demon's head, he started to fire just as the beast decided to tuck its legs in and perform a roll. While bits of its victim hurled left and right, the brave rabbit was caught in the roll and crushed under several spinning tons of thick armor.

"Get him out!" snapped a nearby sergeant.

Rallying to save their friend, the rabbits mobbed the reptile. While one snatched away the shredded meat that was once a rabbit, several-score brought their physical power to bear. The monster let out a terrible roar as they tipped the beast on its side, managing to hold him just long enough for someone to grab their trapped comrade and leg it.

The lizard began to spin again, forcing the rabbits to fall back in unison.

"Fall back, fall back!" the sergeant barked as the massive reptile righted itself. The sergeant watched his men retreat, when gunfire filled the dark forest once again. One brazen private decided to have another go at the obsidian hulk in spite of the beating it had given them.

Feeling the bullets slap against its thick armor and bore into its softer areas, the monster shot forward like a black bolt of lightning. With one powerful kick from its legs the giant closed distance with the private in an instant, mouth wide and ready for a full-helping of adrenaline and revenge-fueled rabbit. The sergeant charged and tackled the behemoth just as it snapped its jaws shut, forcing its head away from any vital areas, however saving the private was still a whole other trial. Those powerful jaws closed around the private's bicep, crushing his arm and dragging him down as the sergeant knocked it off-balance.

Quickly the monster's priorities shifted. It released the private in favor of thrashing its head against the rabbit that so brazenly tackled it. A skull as strong as steel smashed against the marginally lesser rabbit's skull, stunning him and sending him reeling. With that the obsidian hulk returned its attention to its other-

He was running away.

"Ha! Go Shirou! Catch up with the others!"

Visibly enraged, the scaly behemoth broke into a mad dash/gallop. However the rabbit sergeant was not about to let the monster go. Leaping on to its back as it bolted past, the sergeant dug his fingers into the crooks of the beast's armor. The reptile bellowed madly, stopping and tucking its legs in. This time however the sergeant was ready, jumping off as the monster spun into another death roll. However as he righted himself, something heavy smacked into the back of his head, sending him hurtling into the bamboo thicket, snapping quite a few stalks before coming to rest in some splinter-filled brush.

Vision blurred, the sergeant dizzily gazed upon a growing black mass. Then a bloom of intense orange-yellow light swallowed the shadow. It quickly flickered out, the mass shifted, and something red and white smashed into the darkness. He watched the two forms shift and twist around each other as his lucidity drifted away.

Then another darkness took him, but this one was far less terrifying.

* * *

_I hope as time goes on I can write better fights. I've never written an animal fighting before, hope I did okay._


	5. Forbidden Arts

_At long last I return._

_Sorry dear reader(s), had to make some budget cuts and sadly the internet was one of them. However, now I'm making money again so we can jump back into the fanfic world with gusto!_

_Really excited about this new chapter, I hope it's serviceable._

* * *

The black beast let out a snarl as it neared its quarry, its jaws leaking copious amounts of saliva as they parted. With each stomp a sense of anticipation grew within it, with each step its stomach churned hungrily, waiting to be filled. It could be said that this was its favorite part, snuffing out a life like it was nothing. With the rabbit now in range of its powerful jaws, it opened wide.

An intense heat slapped into the monster's flank, and it roared in both pain and surprise. Smoke and ember swirled about, and the beast was summarily tackled by a red-white blur. The demon squirmed as it was pushed and pulled away from its next meal, snapping its jaws wildly at the nuisance at its flank. On a fluke its claw snagged the intruder's loose hide, and the reptile brought its powerful jaws to bear. A loud bony clap filled the air, but all the creature tasted was fiber. It shook its head, trying to free itself of the lump of useless hide that covered its teeth. That's when a naked biped landed on its snout. They quickly grabbed the discarded hide and wrapped it around the monster's jaws before it could react, finishing touch being a very tight knot to keep its jaws bound.

The black behemoth let out a muffled hiss as its opponent bounded off of its snout, landing several meters away. Finally it got a good look at its opponent, and it was not happy when it recognized them. It was that fire-spitter from earlier.

Mokou sneered at the dragon before her, hot embers flaking off her hands. She tossed a fireball at the monster in a mock greeting, watching the massive reptile reel at the intense heat. It let out an aggressive hiss when the flames dispersed, stepping forward. "I'm a charitable person, certainly not the kind of girl to kill dumb animals. However, you're a different story. I let you go once, and I see you still think rabbit is on the menu, so let me spell it out for you, _youkai_."

As Mokou spoke, the creature devoted itself to grinding the cloth that bound its jaws against the soil in some futile attempt to get it off. It turned its head, to allow its sharp claws to get at it, but they sadly still fell a bit short of actually reaching the noose.

"The bamboo forest is under _my_ protection!" Mokou announced, hands igniting with primal flame, "and I don't take kindly to monsters like you!"

The giant snarled, it would deal with the hide later, smashing Mokou was first. It stomped forward, hissing venomously as its tail swished across the charred grass, kicking up a cloud of ash.

"If you take another step, I will personally introduce you to the dirt. And trust me, your relationship will be intimate." Mokou settled into a defensive stance, waiting for the reptile to charge her like it did before.

With a slap of its tail the monster charged, and Mokou hunkered down, ready to put the thing in a headlock like before. The beast planted its forelimbs in the soil, using its momentum to twist around and slap Mokou aside with its broad plated tail. Mokou dug her nails into the crooks of the scales as she was lifted off her feet. Spotting her clinging to its tail, the monster hissed and slammed its tail into the ground once more, crushing her. Mokou's grip faltered, and the tail slid free.

The beast snorted, stomping off, Mokou completely forgotten in favor of that comatose rabbit. A familiar sensation enveloped its tail, and the monster was yanked off of its feet. Mokou swung the dragon around by the tail, once again hurling it into the brush. "Hey! You're fighting me, remember?!" The woods stirred at the dragon made its way through the bamboo thicket, its dorsal plates just barely visible. "Still after the rabbit?"

The rabbit in question was still out like a light, thankfully. Mokou decided that it was a good time to move him before the dragon struck. Lifting off she rushed over, scooping the tiny rabbit into her arms. The bamboo still rustled, the obsidian hulk was doing _something_. "Gotta find a safe place to put you..." Mokou scanned the canopy for a suitable place to rest the rabbit, her urgency growing when she heard the sound of tearing fabric. "That little-!" eventually she just nestled the rabbit in the crook of two branches before landing again, leaving herself open for the monster's attack. "Come on Mokou what would Reimu or Marisa say? Gotta think of something cool and heroic..." The noble mulled it over briefly. "Uh... come on big guy! It's just you and me now!" It really wasn't that cool, but it was the best she had.

Mokou was tackled with the force of a landslide, quickly pinned beneath a ton of claws and scales. Before the she could even react the beast's hot breath blew in her face, and a set of powerful jaws snapped up her head. She cried out as the monster put on the pressure, but Mokou was nothing short of implacable. Her whole body caught fire, burning the dragon's sensitive tongue and gums. The beast hissed as it tried to reel, but Mokou's hands kept its jaws pinned on her. She could hear the dragon start to cry out as it swung its head about, but Mokou only kept turning up the heat. It didn't take long for the beast to collapse in a heat stroke, and Mokou finally saw fit to disperse the flames.

"Oh damn," Mokou looked down at herself, seeing that the intensity of her flames had incinerated her trousers, even some of the wards that she had sewn in to protect them. "I need to work on my knitting, that set was way too weak..." she knelt down to examine the remaining wards that survived the flames. "I could have sworn I put them in right..."

Mokou looked back to the smoldering remains of that obsidian reptile, frowning in distaste when she saw its back rise and fall. "Still breathing huh? You're a stubborn one." Mokou, really glad nobody was around to hear her talk to herself, conjured more flames, ready to end what she started.

"Hey! Whatever you're fighting don't kill it!"

The flame in Mokou's hand fizzled out with a defiant hiss, and the girl stood petrified. _Oh shit what do I do what do I do?_ She thought frantically. She wasn't in the mood to explain why she was in the buff, in the middle of the woods, with a smoldering, comatose giant reptile. So she did the only logical thing and bolted.

Again, the dragon was left to its fate.

Fortunately things set themselves into motion rather quickly, as from out of the brush came sprinting a familiar face, Hong Meiling. "Hey, is anyone-!" her voice hitched when she spotted the smoldering remains of that colossal beast, the same one she caught a glimpse of lumbering into the forest. It was bigger than she initially thought. "P-P-Patchy! I found it!"

Stumbling out of the brush came safari-gear Patchouli, she immediately doubled over, her face dripping with sweat. "N-never... again...!" Then the magician looked up, spotting the black leviathan's comatose form.

Patchouli's ensuing squeal of joy made Meiling wince, but a smile was still on her face. "Good news is he's still breathing, we just gotta drag him back to the mansion."

Patchouli meanwhile was too busy slobbering all over the monster, trying to learn everything about it that she could. The monster's form shifted when Meiling assumed Patchouli went to inspect his hind legs."He's a male!" she called from the other side,

Meiling shuddered as Patchouli started going into detail. She decided to try and take her mind off of it, sauntering over to the obsidian hulk's head, which was still a bit smoky from its encounter with Mokou. "Whoa," Meiling inspected the burns and scars on the beast's hard plating, wiping off some soot from his armor. "Who'd you piss off?" Experimentally, she knelt down and tried lifting his top jaw, but his muscles were clenched shut from whatever trauma he had suffered, and Meiling wound up lifting his whole head. "Boy you're a heavy one... hey Patchy, how we gonna move this guy anyhow?"

**=][=**

"I hate you sometimes."

"What did you expect?" Patchouli asked as she lead the way home, "did you honestly think I could help carry it?"

Meiling grunted, hefting the monster so she could have a better grip on its torso. If she didn't develop a severe back problem, she was definitely going to be feeling this for a couple weeks. "I... was hoping-" a stumble, "dammit. I has hoping that you had a levitation spell prepared."

"I had one but he's too heavy, I'd say it's a miracle _you_ can carry him," Patchouli responded evenly.

Meiling would have huffed in annoyance, but she was already huffing and puffing trying to keep the sleeping monster on her back. "There's nothing you can do to help?" Patchouli's hand flashed, and Meiling found her fatigue fading away in an instant. The girl grunted in thanks, and Patchouli waved her hand dismissively.

After that the walk was surprisingly peaceful. Barring Meiling having to get her stamina restored by Patchouli every so often, things were going well. Patchouli was quite optimistic about the situation, but she was starting to get concerned that the burns were a little too much for the monster.

"So this thing... it isn't a dragon, and it sure as hell ain't a serpent-"

"It's some kind of crocodile," Patchouli interrupted.

Meiling blinked. "... what's a crocodile?"

Patchouli pinched the bridge of her nose, sometimes she hated explaining things. "Crocodiles are a widespread order of aggressive reptiles, the largest in the outside world. They are greatly feared among the humans, revered for their guile, sheer intellect, and power," Patchouli explained.

"So how can you tell?" Meiling decided to ask, hefting the sleeping giant again.

"Obviously our reptilian friend has been heavily mutated by his stay in Gensokyo, but there's still many vestiges of what he is here and there. The snout and dental work are the most obvious, barring that I had a good look at his genitals and they scream crocodilian traits," Patchouli offered a small notebook, "there's some sketches within if you'd like to see for yourself. "

"I-I'm good!" Meiling cried, stumbling and nearly dropping the hulking reptile. "Sheez! I need another boost Patchy!"

"I just gave you one," Patchouli retorted.

"Do you have any idea how much this is murdering my-!" the Chinawoman was cut short by a sharp exhale of air coming from above her. She looked at Patchouli, heart racing, and the look on the magician's face was not a reassuring one.

Patchouli mouthed something along the lines of _drop him and run_, however, Meiling was petrified. A low hiss filled the air, making Meiling shiver. Her face turned a ghostly shade when she saw the beast's fore-claws groping about, trying to find some solid ground to latch on to. She let out a yelp of both surprise and pain when a claw latched onto her shoulder, talons piercing her skin. This time the monster hissed, and Meiling could hear the gears in his head grinding together. As if to confirm his suspicions, his other claw reached out specifically to feel up Meiling, getting a generous helping of her ample bosom in its claw.

Apparently all it took to get poor Meiling to actually do something was get felt up by a colossal reptile/youkai/_thing_ from the outside world. She dropped that monster like a rock and sprinted away, her skin crawling from the contact. "Ew, ew, _ew!_" she cried in what amounted to her most girlish moment in months.

"I think he likes you," Patchouli jabbed. She was promptly punched in the gut by her associate.

As Patchouli writhed on the ground in agony and Meiling kept trying to collect herself, the crocodile finally mustered its faculties and gained a sense of bearing. Before it stood two squishy bipeds, and judging from their profile they were female. The reptile mentally groaned, recollecting all the troubles it had suffered at the hands of biped females.

First the little ones with wings, then the loudmouth on the fuzzy branch, then the fire-spitter, now these two. If the gradual escalation in terms of trauma from the past encounters were anything to go by, any sort of confrontation with these two were really, _really_ not worth it. He slowly began to back away, making sure to stay facing them in case one of them tried to attack.

Meiling recovered by this point, watching the monster try retreating. As much as she'd rather just let it go, get home, have some tea, and sleep today off like a bad hangover, she still had a job to do. "Hey!" she barked.

The crocodile stopped, letting out a hiss in her general direction. Meiling felt a little guilty, he didn't seem to want any trouble, and after the state her and Patchouli found him in she really could empathize with that. However, she still had a job to do. "I'm sorry, I really am, but I'm not letting you go." The reptile let out a venomous growl, this time stepping forward. Meiling felt even more guilty now, she didn't want to make him suffer more, but she knew that look in his eye; he wouldn't go without a fight. "I'm going to forgive you for the groping, because I'm about to make your life a lot worse." In response the black behemoth slapped his tail against the ground. No retreat. Meiling hunkered down, ready to face the monster head on.

After an eternity facing off the monster made the first move, kicking off the ground, mouth wide open. Meiling dove beneath the reptile, rolling on her back as the beast sailed overhead and delivered a firm palm strike to his belly. The reptile cried out, stumbling yet managing to bat her aside with his powerful tail. Meiling sailed into a tree, but recovered mid-flight and kicked off of the stump. She landed before the beast, who was still struggling to recover from the nasty blow. Meiling gave the noticeable dent in his gut a once over, cringing as it very loudly and grotesquely popped back out. It sounded like she broke something in there.

The beast shuddered, swinging itself around to face Meiling once more. The woman's guilt just kept piling on. She was beating up a dumb animal because she was obligated to help Patchouli. This wasn't right.

However the crocodile clearly didn't care anymore. He charged again, hurling himself at her, but this time Meiling went low. She ducked and weaved, wrapping her arms around the beast's throat as he flailed about. The monster hissed, raking his sharp claws against Meiling's biceps as her grip tightened. The woman hissed, the scent of fresh blood filling the air as her skin was ripped open. She threw the beast down and put it in another headlock from behind.

The monster tucked his legs and began to spin clockwise, catching Meiling beneath his hulk. However the girl held firm as she was pulled through the dirt and stone, her grip tightening with every revolution. It wasn't long before she could start to hear what sounded like rough coughing, and in time the crocodile was forced to stop and right itself, gargling audibly, foam pouring from its mouth as he gasped for air. Meiling needed to end this quick. So she planted her heels firmly in the soil, and pulled.

Slowly the crocodile's neck was bent back, the beast struggled, but with each movement his strength faded. Meiling begged for forgiveness before mustering every ounce of her strength, and with a mighty heave lifted the monster off the ground. The black leviathan flipped through the air, his body limp and motionless. Arms still wrapped firmly around the monster's neck as he flew over her shoulder, Meiling toppled down with the beast. The forest shook, the trees rattled, and nearby birds sounded their retreat. Meiling looked over, seeing the prone form of her reptilian foe come to rest over her shoulder. He was down for the count, his eyes snapped firmly shut. Finally she let go, but he wasn't breathing. "Uhh... Patchouli?!"

"I got him!" Patchouli shambled over, hand still firmly on her abdomen. Her free hand flashed as she placed it against the crocodile's broken form, and Patchouli muttered a few words Meiling could not understand. The crocodile inhaled sharply, exhaled, then fell silent. "That will keep him prone and docile," Patchouli said. "Well done, Meiling."

The Chinawoman wormed her way out from under the black monster's prone form, "thanks," she said between breaths. "That was a good fight."

"Yes, he'll be a wonderful base for Flandre's playmate," Patchouli's thin lips pulled into a smirk, "the perfect doll."

Meiling looked confused, "Wait, I thought this was for research! We're giving him to Flandre?"

Patchouli nodded, "and given everything he walked through before finally succumbing, imagine what he'll survive when me and Alice are through with him. He'll be more than the perfect little soldier for her."

Meiling did not look too pleased with herself, "I was right when I said I was going to make your life worse, big guy." Meiling placed a hand on the sleeping giant's head. "I just hope you can forgive me."

"Come on now, Meiling, we're losing daylight," Patchouli said, hand flashing and giving the gatekeeper another boost of stamina.

Meiling sighed, hefting the crocodile over her shoulder. "Alright, let's go."

**=][=**

"So Patchy, you never did go over how we were supposed to lug this poor thing across the lake without drowning him."

Patchouli stared at the shores of the Scarlet Lake with an aura of shame, "I admit I thought the hunt would take longer," the magician said bashfully. "I'll think of something, just give me a moment."

"What is that _thing_ doing back here?!"

Both girls glanced skyward, spotting a familiar ice fairy. Meiling looked at Patchouli for a course of action, but the pale magician seemed rather pleased to see Cirno. "Hello there Cirno," Patchouli greeted, "how are you this fine afternoon?"

"Stow the niceties! What is that monster doing back here?!" Cirno jabbed a finger at the comatose crocodile on Meiling's back. "Do you know what I went through to get rid of him?!"

"I can imagine," Patchouli answered serenely. "To answer your question, we are going to skin him and make some designer boots."

Meiling gawked at Patchouli's bluff, but Cirno stroked her chin. "Okay!" She chirped after taking a spell to mull it over, "he had it coming anyway!" She touched down by the shores, her hands giving off clouds of frost. "I'm guessing you girls need help crossing?"

"We would be most appreciative," Patchouli responded with a dip of her head.

Cirno nodded, "anything to give that monster what's coming to him!" she chirped happily. The ice fairy took point, creating a trail of thick ice to cross the lake with. Patchouli went first to make sure the bridge was stable before gesturing for Meiling to follow, crocodile in tow.

Crossing the lake was one thing, and Cirno's happy compliance saved a generous helping of time, however the real challenge was getting the monster inside. He was already stirring somewhat, but Patchouli assured Meiling he was likely having an intense dream. However, at least one trail was done, now for the real test.

"No."

"I'm begging you, I've been dragging this lug for hours!"

"No."

"Sakuya, I'll consider it a personal favor-"

"No."

Sakuya was pretty adamant about not bringing filthy soot covered animals inside the mansion, especially because of the extra mess they'd make. Both Patchouli and Meiling could empathize, but they were not going to back down for such a petty reason.

"Sakuya," Patchouli tried again, "We only need him inside for a brief while, surely you can find it within your heart to grant us an hour with our reptilian friend."

"You know I can't do that, Patchouli." Sakuya said, crossing her arms adamantly. "Even if it was Lady Remilia who sent you out to begin with. She has a strict no pets policy, you know this."

Meiling looked like she was going to crumble under the crocodile's weight, but Patchouli had one more ace up her sleeve. "Then you leave me no choice."

Sakuya was about to retort when she was encased in a block of ice. Behind her Cirno snickered, "That's what you get for stopping our great justice!" she jeered, pushing the frozen maid out of the way. She ushered Patchouli and Meiling through the front door, getting many thanks from both mansion residents. However when she tried to go in herself she found the door was closed already. "Wh-what?" Cirno tried pushing the door open, "but I helped you two! I wanna watch!"

Utterly betrayed, Cirno flew off in tears, ranting about how they'd rue the day they didn't pay her back for helping them.

**=][=**

"What have you done to my library?!"

All around bookcases were pushed aside, scattered tomes casually thrown into piles to make way for Alice's machinations. All of Patchouli's hard work so casually disrespected.

"**Koakuma!**"

"Leave her be, Patchouli. This is a necessary evil." On a nearby wall floated Alice, using some chalky substance to carve alien glyphs into the walls. "I need space for this, and all your books were in the way."

"You could have told me!" the pale magician snapped back. "Do you know how long it will take to get everything reorganized?!"

Alice shrugged, clearly disinterested in what Patchouli had to say. "So did you find the Jiaolong?" she asked, floating down to the floor.

Patchouli snarled, but nodded. "Yes we have him, and as it turns out he's just a mutant crocodile."

Alice hummed, returning her attention to the floor, drawing an ornate circle with what looked like Gaelic ornamentation. "Before you ask, I'm almost done," she said simply.

At that point Meiling had managed to struggle into the library, crocodile in tow. "Stupid doorways!" the chinawoman snarled, struggling to worm the monster through the archway, "why did Remilia have to make the damn things so small?" After the beast fell to the floor with a earthshaking thump, Meiling was cursing again. "Why do I keep dropping him?!"

"China calm down!" Patchouli shouted, "look this has been a tiring afternoon for all of us-"

"I'm the one who fought him! I'm the one who drug his carcass here!" Meiling retorted hotly. "And I'm the one damning him with a leash and collar!"

"Not necessarily," Alice interjected. "He will not be a slave, if that is what you fear. No, we will remake him, and when we are done he will prove a suitable companion to your Flandre." By this point Alice had finished her circles, standing up and placing her chalk in a bag. "Plus if you really had that much of a problem with this you wouldn't have agreed to bring the poor beast here."

Meiling shut up by that point, stricken by Alice's words.

Alice conjured her grimoire, flipping through the pages with purpose. "Now let's see if I can remember those notes I had for Shanghai... here we are." The Romanian took a deep breath, placing her hand over a circle that mirrored the one she had drawn. "Patchouli, in my bag there are necessary components I need, if you could grab them and follow my instructions I would be much obliged."

The pale magician nodded, managing to track down the bag on a nearby table. She undid the buckle and opened it, taking a gander within. There were many jars, all containing rather alien substances. Even the one that looked like it was just packed full of meat had this strange slick sheen to it, like it had just been sprayed with water.

"In the beginning there were five. Fire, earth, water, air, and light," Alice began, the text on her grimoire flaring to life with an azure aura. "Darkness turned into day, and the Chaos settled into creation." The circle burned brightly, and within the blink of an eye the floor was replaced with a swirling pool of color. Patchouli and Meiling gawked at the sight, totally lost in what Alice was doing. "However, there was a sixth: flesh. Within us all is contained the five that birthed us." Alice paused, turning to Meiling. "Now then, if you would, China? Place the reptile in the pool."

"Actually it's-"

"Do as she says, China, we're both curious at this point," Patchouli interrupted, already sorting the components that Alice had her retrieve.

The girl sighed, wondering just why she had truly complied with all of this. Maybe it was just because she owed the people in this mansion a lot, but either way as much as she was against it she found herself doing as she was told. She hefted the sleeping beast one last time, carrying him to the swirling pool. She sucked in a deep breath of regret, and after a minute of soul searching, she hurled the crocodile into oblivion with a mess-less splash. Meiling immediately started cursing herself, hastily turning on her heel and making for the exit.

"Stay, China," Alice implored. "I would rather you be here when he awakens anew."

"Why's that?" Meiling asked bitterly, not bothering to turn around and look at whatever Alice happened to be doing, "am I going to be the official note-taker?"

Alice laughed, "nothing so mundane. No you will be protection."

Meiling had to mull over a response this time, but nothing came to mind. "Why would you need protection?"

Alice smiled, "in case he remembers." With that said she turned her head to Patchouli. "The jar labeled "lamb chops," dump its contents into the pool," she ordered with a nod.

Patchouli returned the gesture, making her way over to the swirling pool. She tried opening the jar, only to find it was very well-fastened... she couldn't open it. Alice watched the pale magician struggle with the jar, her disappointment growing with each minute that passed. "China, help her."

Meiling stomped to Patchouli's side, relieved her of the jar, opened with with no effort, and dumped the contents into the pool. The liquid started to boil, foaming as its temperature blistered.

"This sixth was the meat which within it carried the desire to consume like fire!" Alice looked to Patchouli again, "Sanzu water!"

Patchouli scurried over to the table, grabbing a jar of murky water, and rushing it over to Meiling, who dully opened it and dumped its contents into the pool. The pool hissed as the ice cold water was introduced, clouds of steam billowing from its heart. The pool started to churn itself, and for the briefest of moments the crocodile's tail rose from the water only to limply splash back down.

"Water! The liquid nutrient that brings pearls of life to creation! That which both brings and takes life!" Alice took a moment to pause. "Place the bone grinds into the pool!"

Patchouli and Meiling repeated their past actions, pouring the white powder into the pool. The pool crackled and popped, sizzling and churning even more violently. The waters turned a dark red color as they churned, bits of scale could be seen bubbling to the surface of the surface for a brief spell.

"Bone! The branch and stone of the body; giving shape and structure! Now place the breath of air!" Not missing a beat Patchouli and Meiling acted, pouring a cloud of heavy mist into the pool. The red waters lurched, heaving into the air, leaving a remarkably intact wooden floor behind. Above floated a blood red orb, twisting and shifting, currents coursing through it as whatever life within was stripped down to its core essence. "All of this combined with our sacrifice, light! The soul, perception, thought, memory, imagination! Through the soul of a beast we forge life anew!"

Patchouli grabbed the last jar, giving it a brief once over. It was filled with this thick white substance, and lacked a label. "Alice, what is this?"

"Dump its contents into the mass, and mayhap you will learn its purpose," Alice slammed her grimoire shut and floated up above the bloody sphere.

After having Meiling open the jar, Patchouli followed suit. She gagged when she came to a halt, the odor of whatever was in the jar catching up to her. "Spirits what is that stench?!"

Alice took the jar and dropped it into the sphere, which reacted violently. It rumbled like a coming storm, orange streaks now joining the swirling red clouds within. "Now for the essence of the mother." Alice produced a simple dagger, sharpened to perfection. "Patchouli, as this would not have happened without you, the ritual requires an offering of your own blood."

The pale magician nodded grimly. "It better not start calling me mom," she mumbled, taking the dagger from Alice. She placed the blade in her palm, gripping it firmly. She then slowly pulled the blade out, wincing in pain briefly. She balled her hand into a fist, squeezing as hard as she could, letting her blood drip into the sphere.

Alice nodded in approval, wiping the blade and... proceeding to do the exact same thing. Slicing her palm open and letting her blood drip into the mass below. "And with the blood of the architect, I command thee, take shape!"

* * *

_Alright! Time to reintroduce an old friend!_

_You guys have no idea how excited I am, finally able to keep writing, doubly so seeing the next chapter concerns an old pal of mine._

_Until next time, see you all next chapter!_


	6. In the Image of Man

_Mo chapters, mo fun._

_Today's chapter of Strings was brought to you by -your name here-._

* * *

Flandre was just stewing in anticipation. It had been mere hours since Patchouli had approached her, weaved to her a tale of a true friend, a tale that the younger Scarlet sister had been utterly enraptured by. She could hear the commotion from the library above, she knew that was the sound of her friend coming to play with her. She had totally forgotten about the war against the evil Tyrannosaurus, instead she was listening, ear pushed firmly against the ceiling, putting her enhanced hearing to good use. She could hear the magic from here, the incantations, the sound of falling shelves. Oh Flandre was the pinnacle of giddy.

However, her giddiness died when a curt rap sounded from her door. Flandre was curious, as Sakuya had already brought lunch down for her. Who could it possibly be this time? With a shrug Flandre floated down to the floor, touching down by her door. Normally she'd ask who it was, but something about her visitor set her on edge. Slowly she pulled open the door, and her heart nearly burst from her chest. "Sis?"

Verily, there she stood. Remilia Scarlet had come to visit her dearest sister, the first visit in what felt like _years_. The older sister looked rather shy, like she did not think she should be down here. Already Flandre had a sinking feeling of irritation. Remilia should be ashamed with herself for taking so long to finally show her face, but to not even smile for her baby sister was... dare she say, absolutely enraging?

"Flandre," Remilia said curtly, as if this was some kind of professional get-together. "May I come in?"

Flandre's lips curled into a snarl immediately. "Why?!" she snapped. "Why now?! Why not days ago? Months ago? YEARS AGO?! You know I've been down here waiting for you!" The blonde vampire stamped her foot indignantly–absolutely livid with her sister. "You don't think I can be normal?! Is that still the excuse?!"

Remilia held up her hand, not wishing to raise her voice. "I know you can Flandre, but-"

"-but _**nothing**_!" Flandre spat. "I am sick and tired of being treated like some nutcase! You came down here because Patchouli's making me a friend, right?" Flandre finally reined in her temper, folding her arms as her snarl turned into a cross frown. "What do you think this is your last chance for something?"

"Flandre, I did not mean to ignore you," Remilia started, rubbing her arm. "I just... I didn't know what to do at the time. You were acting so erratic, harming people who did nothing. I didn't want people to hate you."

The younger Scarlet snorted rudely in response, "so putting me in a basement feeding me stupid humans was somehow better?"

"They weren't food, Flandre! They were supposed to-"

"Teach me how to treat people properly, blah blah," Flandre interrupted, making a yapping motion with her hand. "I know, but I didn't care about that! I don't want to be some stuck up lady! I want to be me! I wanted to see my sister!" Again she was stamping her foot, her balled fists trembling. "Why is that so hard to understand?!"

Remilia frowned, "you are the one who does not understand. You still think you did nothing wrong." The Scarlet Devil shook her head, "I shouldn't have come down here."

A loud clap filled the air, and Remilia blinked, feeling a numbing sensation on her cheek. She brought her hand up to the offended skin, looking to Flandre. She was holding the hand that did the deed, fresh tears running down her cheeks. "..._out_," she mumbled weakly, not even giving Remilia a chance to fully process what happened.

Remilia felt something welling in her chest, her fangs poking out from between her lips. "What?"

"**GET OUT!** I don't need your help! I don't need _you_!" Flandre promptly slammed the door in Remilia's face, making sure to lock it. Almost immediately she could hear Remilia stomping off angrily, which upset Flandre even more. She ran to her bed, burying her face in her pillow to muffle her anguished wails. "I wish we weren't sisters!" she screamed into her headrest, pounding and kicking her mattress angrily, kicking her sheets off to the side. "All I need is my new friend! We'll play all the time, and we'll be together forever!"

It tore her heart up to say all of that, but she so desperately wanted it to be true. She was through letting Remilia break her heart, she was going to have someone else soon, and they would be with her always. She wouldn't need her sister anymore, she wouldn't let herself be vulnerable again.

Remilia meanwhile was fuming. How dare that little brat raise a hand against her! After all she did for her! After all the times she had to pull that spoiled little harlot out of the line of fire! After all the times she saved her from getting disgraced and abandon by her family! Remilia fought tooth and nail for her sister and all she gets is a bruised cheek?! "You can have your little monster, _Flandre_. As far as I'm concerned, you're just some nut I have in the basement." Remilia's fists were trembling as she tried to keep her ire under control and out of sight.

If anyone saw her in such a state–to see her so weak, it would be an insult to her and her family. She was the head of the household, the master of this mansion. She was to be a pillar of stability–one to be looked up to. To have her composure broken by a spoiled brat should be beyond her, even if it was her own sister. Remilia growled, setting course for her quarters. She needed to put some new dents in the wall and get some screams out in peace.

**=][=**

"I command thee, take shape!"

A terse silence as the orb seemed to fall dormant, but then it exploded violently. A swathe of blood washed the library, hurling the girls into walls and shelves as the current violently churned an immeasurable amount of pus and blood around the wide halls. Meiling was livid, Patchouli was about to explode, and Alice was screaming internally. All they had accomplished was make a huge mess of the library.

"Do you know how long it's going to take to clean all of this?!" Patchouli shrieked, voice cracking. "I have blood in places that should not have blood in them! If I contract a disease I swear by my ancestors-!"

"Alice!" Koakuma called merrily, tray in hand with fresh tea. "I got those drinks you wanted!" she blinked, looking around the bloody mess that was the library, managing to spot the Romanian in the scarlet pools. "I'm guessing it didn't go so well?" she asked, scanning what used to be Patchouli's library.

"Where have you _been_?!" Patchouli wailed at the top of her lungs, "how could you let her do this to my library?!"

"Oh shut up!" Meiling shouted, swimming out from the book shelves. "After all the crap we've been through, all you care about is your damn library?!"

As the two girls argued, the bloody pools pulsated, a small shimmer flashed in the center of the library. Alice blinked, staring deep into the small light as a current began to pull the blood into the center of the library. "It's not over!" she shouted over the bickering magician and Chinagirl, who quickly shut their yaps when they noticed the maelstrom forming in the heart of the library.

The blood was pulled off of the girls and the walls, leaving them unmarked, as if there was not gallons of the stuff plastered on them just moments before. It all just swept around and was pulled into the swirling void in the heart of the library. It was like somebody pulled a plug in the floor, and it was all just being pulled down. In time, as the blood was shy of disappearing, a mound could be seen on the floor, convulsing as the last cubic gallons of blood was drained into it. It shuddered violently as the blood dried, its form flexing and falling to the floor in a heap.

Eventually the mound dried, shrinking and taking a more defined shape. Everyone stared at the small black humanoid that formed on the floor, utterly speechless. Alice was especially stricken, this result was nothing like Shanghai at all. She could see its bony back rise and fall, hell, she could _hear_ it breathing.

The reshaped life let out a loud exhale, shifting placidly, unable to move properly due to its totally new skeleton and muscular structure. A grunt as it struggled to move, testing its meager but well-developed strength. Planting its hands on the ground, it pushed itself up.

Only to dive down and attack its hands.

In its reptilian brain, it did not recognize the appendages as its own, and sank its sharp teeth into them. It hissed in agony, reeling back and staring at the bleeding hand with its empty yellow eyes. It leaned down, inspecting the wound briefly, taking a test bite only to reel again, processing the pain.

"_Incredible..._" Patchouli mouthed breathlessly, unable to make the words actually come out. There it was, the fruit of her labor. So much to learn, she could stock the library just on information concerning _this_! Whatever ire she may have had was swept under the rug like yesterday's news.

Meiling watched the bony human thing inspect its hands as if they were enemies, still coming to terms with the fact that this was the fate of that crocodile. Reduced from an apex predator to a pathetic, frail little black creature. "I'm sorry," she said weakly.

The new life's head snapped up, its jaw hanging open as its throat vibrated, emitting a loud reptilian snarl. It lied prone, not even breathing as it searched for that familiar vocalization. Its head slowly craned about, its jaw still hanging and its mucus colored eyes shimmering in the low light of the library.

Everyone save for the new life looked to Meiling, who was visibly paler. "I-I guess he still remembers-" she squeaked when the black thing's head whipped around, its empty eyes boring into hers. Another monstrous hiss as it drug its feet up and planted its soles firmly into the floor. The gatekeeper was getting tense, easily reading what was going on inside that little head.

It shot forward, face-planting the wooden floor. A low groan emerged from the new life, registering an alien pain in its skull. Its legs twitched and spasmed, the brain unable to piece together which muscle did what. Everything felt different; wrong, it was so hard for it to process. As the little demon struggled with itself, Meiling got up and carefully made her way over to Alice and a positively giddy Patchouli. "So this is the perfect doll?"

"He'll need some work; proper grooming and all, but yes, that's him," Alice said, unable to suppress the smile at her personal victory. The crocodile proved to be her greatest success yet, so much more advanced than Shanghai. The Romanian couldn't wait to give him a good examination. "China, if you would restrain him please?"

Meiling eyed the struggling reptilian wearily - uncertain. "Is that a good idea?" she asked.

"I need purge his memories of you two so he becomes placid," Alice responded. "As well as impart my knowledge of basic locomotion so he can move more than two meters before hurting himself."

"I would like to try my hand at that, if you would indulge," Patchouli said, stepping forward. "After all this I have to be useful somehow." She nodded to Meiling, who reluctantly made her way over to the black thing convulsing on the floor, still trying to work out how its legs functioned.

It was so focused on its leg issue that it didn't notice Meiling circle behind. Not even giving the thing a chance to notice, Meiling tackled it, pulling the little monster off of the floor and into a perfect full nelson. Fully aware of the Chinawoman, the miniature beastie flailed and kicked, snapping at the air wildly and raking its sharp claws against her sides. Meiling hissed in agony, sucking up the pain as gashes were made into her skin faster than they could regenerate. "For such a small guy you sure pack a wallop!"

Patchouli meanwhile had moved swiftly. Even as she clutched the little demon's skull its attention was solely on Meiling. She pressed her thumbs against its temples and fanned her fingers out, digging them into its skull. Giving up on Meiling, the reshaped life reached out to Patchouli with such ferocity and determination that its muscles forced its arms from their sockets. The extra inch gave it the leverage to snatch her biceps, sinking its claws into the magician. Patchouli remained stalwart, utterly devoted to her task. The former crocodile opened its maw and yanked Patchouli toward it, ready to sink its teeth into her.

Then everything went blank.

The little monster that had given both girls hell went limp, and Patchouli was harmlessly pulled into what could be misconstrued as an embrace. The magician sighed in relief, releasing the black thing's skull and pulling away. Meiling followed suit when she felt her captor relax, releasing it and swiftly retreating a meter or two.

The new life sat, its blank gaze wandering about like a newborn infant. Its head lolled and turned dizzily like a drunkard, reeling from what Patchouli had done to its brain.

The pale magician in question dusted off her hands and set about healing the wounds on her arms. "There we are. I went ahead and wiped every vestige of what it was before, it's utterly placid and malleable now," she said proudly, her lips curling into a smile as she watched her wounds disappear with the wave of a hand.

Alice tentatively stepped toward her creation, shaking a little from the anxiety, marveling over just how perfectly this had gone. Sure it was a lot smaller than she had pictured, probably barely coming up to her waist, but it'll do. "Welcome to life," she said with a smile. The little thing rolled its head forward, looking at the girl who approached. It stared at her with wide eyes, as if she were the first living thing it had ever seen. It blinked at the Romanian woman, studying her before emitting a single sound. Its throat undulated, and emit a soft chirp. Alice blinked at the gesture, and watched as her creation did so a few more times at her.

"It's imprinted on you," Patchouli frowned, folding her arms. "That complicates things."

"He," Alice corrected, glancing to the pale magician. "He's still male." Another soft chirp returned her attention to the newborn. "_What should I call you?_" she asked in her native tongue. Alice took a brief spell to mull it over, finding a name rather quickly. "_Adam,_" she answered. "_I'll call you Adam._"

"He's like a baby," Meiling said, those soft, innocent chirps stirring some fuzzy feelings in her. "When he's not being all creepy and snarling he's actually pretty cute."

"Adam..." Pachouli muttered, testing the name on her tongue. "I suppose it will do." Flandre would probably rename him later, it was of no matter. "Do you think this is sufficient for Flandre?" she asked Alice, hoping to hear a yes.

Alice giggled as the newly christened Adam groped the air in front of her, trying to reach her face. "I would like some time with him, to make sure there are no flaws," Alice said, offering Adam a hand which he took in earnest. She winced a bit when his small claws dug into her skin. "This end result is nothing like my last attempt, better safe than sorry."

Patchouli frowned. She'd rather keep Adam here, put him through tests, make sure he was up to snuff and the product Alice sold her. "If you think it is wise," she conceded. Alas, better to have the expert near to make repairs. She would get her time with this homunculus soon. She'd make sure of it.

Alice returned her attention to Adam, smiling and giggling as he tried crawling closer. She reached out and picked him up. His reaction was immediate, gasping softly before sinking his claws tightly into her clothes. Again, she couldn't resist laughing at the little thing as he held onto her for dear life. Adam looked at Patchouli and Meiling with his wide yellow eyes, scanning them with naught but innocent wonder.

Meiling felt a small flutter when she locked eyes with him for the first time. She looked away, unable to stand how girlish she was suddenly feeling. "_Those eyes make you want to just pinch his cheeks..._" she muttered.

"I'm sure," Patchouli said flatly, frown almost turning to a scowl as Adam's gaze fell upon her, and made that same chirp.

"Hey little guy," Meiling said, leaning down to Adam's level. Alice hefted him in her arms, letting him get closer to the gatekeeper. "Not sure if you can understand me, but I just wanted to say I'm sorry about everything. Hopefully this life will be better than the last."

Adam cocked his head, reaching out and trying to grab Meiling's nose a couple times. He frowned, his sharp fangs poking out of his mouth when her nose wouldn't come off.

"I guess asking you to know English is a bit too much at the moment," Meiling laughed, pulling away, much to Adam's chagrin. He reached out once more, groping the air wildly in an effort to pull her back to his level.

"You excited to see your new home?" Alice asked the little homunculus. He looked at her, noticing that she too had a nose. He reached up and grabbed it, squeezing and pulling it weakly. His brow furrowed as his clumsy hands refused to get a decent grip on her. Alice let out a nasally giggle, "sorry, you can't pull my nose off."

Patchouli rolled her eyes as the nonsense escalated. "So when can I expect him again?"

"Soon," Alice before blowing air in little Adam's face. The homunculus squinted, reeling back a bit and releasing the Romanian's nose. "I just need time with him to make sure he's going to stay consistent."

"And if he doesn't?" Patchouli asked.

"Then I need to keep him until he becomes stable," Alice responded, hugging Adam close as he clung to her like any infant would. "He will not fall apart if that's your concern. He would be the first if he does."

Patchouli's gaze fell on Adam once again, watching as he snuggled up to Alice. "Then why are you taking him if it's not a concern? Are you just trying to play parent?"

"I'm not going to sugarcoat it for you, Patchouli. If he deteriorates I need to be there, end of discussion. These next few weeks are strictly for his development and stability," Alice retorted. "Say what you like, I can just keep Adam if you prefer. We could see how you fare finding another giant crocodile in Gensokyo."

"You're implying I'm just going to let you leave with him," Patchouli snapped back.

Alice smirked, hugging the chirping Adam close to her bosom. "Try me."

It was at this point that Koakuma decided to chime in, peering from her hiding spot behind Meiling. "Mom, dad, please stop fighting."

The two magicians leered at each other, Alice just waiting for Patchouli to take her bait. However, the lady of the library chose to acquiesce, making a flippant gesture of dismissal. "Go, but I want him to visit regularly. I want to make my own observations."

"That I can do," Alice said with a smug grin before turning her attention to her newborn. "Are you ready to come home with mama?" Adam blinked in response, cocking his head, eliciting a girlish giggle from Alice once again. Oh she was going to enjoy being relied on like this.

**=][=**

"Marisa, I know we're friends, but I'm not one for confessionals," Reimu said, taking a sip of her tea. "Wouldn't Alice or Kourin be more appropriate than me?"

Marisa played with her fingers, sitting across from the shrine maiden. "I-I know that, but it's about Alice." Reimu's quirked brow implored Marisa to continue. "She's doing something I don't approve of, something that she wouldn't be doing if it wasn't for me..."

"What exactly is she trying to do then?" Reimu chose to ask. "Bad things happen in Gensokyo, Marisa. This must be pretty horrible for it to be bothering you so much. Destroying souls? Kick-starting the end of the world? Another mist?" This was actually harder than she thought. All the other incidents were forgiven and forgotten, what was Alice doing that was so bad?

"Nothing like that, it's just..." Marisa chewed on her bottom lip, "what would you do if your actions enabled someone to ruin the life of an innocent?"

Reimu puzzled briefly, mulling over all the times she invaded the homes of others and beat them to a pulp. "Can you be more specific?"

"Reimu!"

"I'm just getting specifics," the red-white said, holding up a disarming hand. "We've all done things we're not proud of."

"So I went to the Mansion to-"

"Hold on, I think I'm starting to understand why you're feeling so guilty," Reimu interrupted.

Marisa gawked. "I haven't even started yet!"

"You're starting your story with a trip to the Scarlet Mansion, right?" the shrine maiden asked, pouring herself another cup of tea. "I told you to stop visiting those loonies, they're nothing but trouble."

Marisa smacked the table in response. "I like stealing the books! Anyway stop sidetrackin' me!"

Reimu rolled her eyes, "fine, fine. Continue."

So Marisa weaved an extravagant tale about fairies and dragons. Of vicious combat and exploding seas. She went on to describe deals in dark places with shady folk, and how the protagonist of the story visited a horrid fate on some unsuspecting soul.

When all was said and done, Reimu could only hum. "And what's the unforgivable bit?"

"Reimu!" Marisa shrieked. "That was it! The whole bastardizing life and making slaves!"

"That's it?"

"Yes!" Marisa was red in the face by this point, how could Reimu be so nonchalant about this?

"You do realize that worse things have happened, right?" Reimu asked pointedly. While Marisa sputtered for an answer, the shrine maiden elaborated. "Look, Marisa, I can tell you feel guilty about this faceless character you may or may not have inadvertently damned, but you can't let it eat you. If I was wracked with guilt every time I exterminated youkai, where do you think I'd be right now?"

"I-I get that but-"

"Marisa, I find your unerring guilt admirable, but what use is there being swallowed in stress? Let it go," Reimu said simply, taking one more sip of her tea. "If you are fated to meet this unknown person, then so be it. Until then, however, just let it go."

"So just forget about it?" Marisa asked.

"Why not talk to Alice? You two are friends, she will understand," Reimu answered evenly. "Just tell her how you feel. Maybe she hasn't done the deed yet and you can change her mind."

"I suppose another go at changing her mind wouldn't hurt..." Marisa mumbled.

"Put a little gusto into it, Marisa," the shrine maiden smiled. "Now get out."

**=][=**

"All that aside..." Reimu said, watching Marisa head off to deal with her moral epiphany. "This big lizard warrants an investigation." She gave her arms a good stretch before rising off of her feet and gliding through a nearby window. As much as she was certain Marisa's mercy was enough to look the other way, the idea of a massive reptilian hulk with a taste for fairies surviving getting its guts blown out was something worth keeping a tab on.

Reimu made a stop in the human village to ask around, but nobody knew anything about this monster Marisa had told her about. While they certainly could imagine a large armored sea dragon living in the Scarlet lake, they had never heard of its existence before Reimu had pressed them about it. It was a relief to the shrine maiden, the beast had yet to start causing trouble, but she still wanted eyes on it just in case. Best thing to do would be to go to the lake and see if she could find anything, maybe interrogate Cirno.

As she made her way toward the familiar misty lake that embraced the Scarlet Mansion, Reimu spotted a familiar face. It was none other than the subject of Marisa's latest problem, and in her arms she gingerly carried some kind of wrapped bundle. "Alice!" she called. "Do you have a moment?"

The Romanian snapped out of whatever reverie had currently overtaken her, finally spotting Reimu as she came into spitting distance. "O-oh, Reimu," she said, a little flustered. "Apologies, my mind is elsewhere."

"That's fine, we all have things on our mind these days. However, I wanted to ask you something," Reimu began, the wind carrying her past Alice. She was going to just tell her that Marisa was on the lookout for her, but this was a good chance to ask someone she likely told. "What do you know of the youkai Marisa fought at the lake?"

Alice blinked a few times, "this is the first I've heard of it," she lied. "What has she told you?"

"She described it as an armored sea dragon," Reimu said, hearkening back to the conversation she had shy of an hour ago. "She took pity on it and healed it after she exploded its guts."

All Alice could manage was a hum or faux wonder, praying to her ancestors that her bundle would stay quiet long enough for Reimu to wander off. "So what are you going to do?"

"I'm going to the lake and interrogating some fairies," Reimu answered evenly, starting to drift in the wind. "I guess you know about as much as I do, so thanks for your time."

"Sorry I couldn't help-" a soft chirp emerged from the bundle in Alice's arms, and the magician found herself cursing in every language she knew.

Reimu stopped. "What was that?"

Alice fumbled with her bundle, trying to placate the little thing inside, but instead of rocking him to sleep she only made him reach out for her, groping the air in front of her face as he tried again to grab her nose. "Not now Adam!" she shushed.

"Adam? What do you have there?" Reimu asked, floating over. Alice snapped her eyes shut. Game over man, game over. She was going to purify him and then there was going to be a danmaku battle- "aww it's so cute."

Alice stared off into the distance briefly before managing to recollect herself. "He," she suddenly corrected. "This is Adam."

"Hello Adam!" Reimu chirped with an uncharacteristic level of cheer, something that disturbed Alice to no end. Were all girls vulnerable to the innocent charms of newborn abominations now?

Adam chirped in response, shifting in his little bundle as Reimu started chatting him up, offering a finger for him to examine. "So where'd you get him?" Reimu asked.

"I... made him," Alice coughed.

"So you're who Marisa's talking about," Reimu said, a smile still plastered on her face as Adam shook her hand. "Such a cute little thing giving her so much worry. It's almost criminal."

Alice blinked. That didn't sound too good. "Marisa's been talking about him?"

"Well about as much as you can when you have no idea what you're talking about," Reimu responded, letting Adam nibble on her finger. "She thinks she damned an innocent soul to an eternity of slavery."

"Oh..." She was still on about that? Alice was certain she made it clear that such wouldn't become of Adam! "I guess I should talk to her again."

Reimu made a sound of disappointment at that. "Oh boo, I was hoping I could hold him."

"W-well, you could come visit him some day," Alice offered, immediately wincing when she realized what she just said.

The shrine maiden hummed at that. "I'd like to do that. It would make for some innocent fun," she smiled at the little beastie before pulling away. Adam groped in her direction but soon his hands retreated back into his bundle.

With a wave farewell and a gust of wind, the shrine maiden was gone, off to keep looking for her monster. Alice was glad, looking at what had become of Reimu's quarry with a soft gaze. He looked so adorable now, it was hard to fathom mere hours ago he was a terrifying armored river-beast. "Come Adam, I can't wait to introduce you to Shanghai."

* * *

_I'm happy._

_Super happy in fact. The moment I'd been building up to has finally come. From here on, there's nowhere to go but up! I hope you guys will stick with me as we start getting into the story's first major arc._

_I'll see you next chapter, dear reader. Have a great day._


	7. All Monsters Start Out Innocently

This chapter of Strings was brought to you by diabetes.

* * *

_He remembered the cool waves on the searing banks. It was here that he was king, undisputed, unstoppable. Even the largest of animals feared him, even the bipeds gave him a wide berth. They had tried, oh yes, but they had all failed to destroy him. All across the horizons his legend was told, a predatory beast of unmatched ferocity._

"Adam..."

_ Then the skies opened up, and from it descended-_

"Adam..."

The tiny thing blinked, coming to from his dream. He chirped, head darting about, until he met a familiar face, the positively radiant face of Alice. "Hey sleepy head!" she greeted with a smile. "Get a good nap in?"

Adam stared at her, head cocked to the side. He really had to mull over his response, which sadly was only an insightful chirp. Still though, he was rewarded with a gentle pat on the head.

"I told Shanghai I would be bringing you home, she was really excited!" Alice gently set Adam down, who chirped in protest and immediately clung to the hem of her dress, hiding behind her leg. She giggled at his shyness, rapping on her front door.

Slowly the door opened, revealing a familiar blonde doll. "Sorry, Alice isn't here right-" she blinked, getting a look at her maker. Slowly her gaze fell, spotting the little black thing clinging to Alice's leg. Alice looked down at Adam, giving him a reassuring pat on the head, but he didn't even acknowledge her, staring at Shanghai with dinner-plate eyes. The homunculus hunched, slowly moving out from behind Alice's dress. His wide eyes were locked on the doll, who shrunk under his gaze as he moved closer.

Alice quirked a brow, quite curious. "Adam?" She didn't get a response, as he approached Shanghai, his hunch kept deepening. Then it hit the magician.

Unfortunately it hit Alice too late, as a microsecond later Adam pounced Shanghai, holding her down by the wrists and effectively pinning her. Alice watched, still morbidly curious, waiting to see what her latest creation would do. He just stared at Shanghai, and she stared back with an equally wide-eyed expression. It was incredibly creepy.

Shanghai glanced to Alice, who smirked and nodded. The doll then smashed her head into Adam's sending the little thing reeling. He stumbled back, hissing lowly and feeling the developing welt on his forehead. Shanghai conjured her lance and charged, skewering him through the chest within seconds. The doll raised her lance, watching as Adam fell to the hilt. The homunculus blinked at the lance, watching his yellow blood start leaking from the wound. He cocked his head, staring.

Shanghai lowered the lance, willing it out of existence. Adam stared at the hole, feeling around the empty air with a furrowed brow. He looked the picture of thoughtful as he examined the wound. Then the wound sparked, dark energy coursing across his body to the hole. Within seconds bone and flesh filled the hole, a seamless regeneration. Alice utterly speechless, gawking at Adam as he poked the spot where the hole used to be. Shanghai joined in too, examining the now flawless skin.

Adam promptly got a fistful of Shanghai's hair and swung her overhead, planting her head through the porch. Alice cringed, "yeah we need to work on that." As Adam reached through the hole in the perfectly good porch mom intervened. "Alright Adam, enough!" she grabbed him by the wrist and pulled him away, fishing up the stunned Shanghai by proxy. Upon Adam releasing her in response to Alice's crossness, the doll slowly got up and dusted herself off, looking back to Adam with a curious expression. The homunculus let out a low, territorial hiss, and then the magician knew what this was about. "Alright, she knows. You're bigger and stronger- hey," she snapped her fingers in front of his face, "you proved your dominance, alright?"

The homunculus stared at Alice's hand, blinking, irises growing. He chirped, looking up at Alice. She frowned at him, specifically the ferocity of his retaliation. Adam paid it no mind though, holding up his hands to her, as if to say "upsies mommy". The magician rolled her eyes, scooping the little black beastie into her arms. "Oh you're gonna be the cause of a lot of trouble aren't you?"

Trouble was a bit of an understatement.

**=][=**

Alice groaned to the sound of commotion, a ruckus sounding from downstairs. "Please not again... I wanna sleep..." she whined, hearing the smashing of glass. She tried smothering her ears with her pillow, but the chaos persisted. With an enraged snort the magician slowly rose from her bed, grabbing a robe from her armiore to conceal her bare body. She huffed, leaving her room and heading downstairs, the commotion ramping up as she approached the source.

"Adam! Shanghai!" Alice snapped, the commotion immediately ceasing. Indeed there the two were, Adam still trying to assume a dominant position over the blonde doll. Alice was really hoping this obsession with posturing wasn't a result of some bastard puberty, her own in decades past was enough for her. "Come here, both of you." Shanghai was the first to arrive, while Adam made more of a confused beeline, but arrived all the same. "Now listen carefully," the exhausted Romanian said, pushing the two into each other. "You two are going to like each other from now on, got it? Family doesn't harm family, right? You both have my blood."

Adam and Shanghai blinked at each other, as if never considering the notion.

"Altruism between family members all I ask, so go to bed and please stop destroying everything," she finally ordered, releasing the pair to rub her eyes. "I gotta..." she let out a long yawn, "gotta get rested now..."

Without a second glance Alice retreated back to her room, throwing her robe into some black corner of her space and flopping into the bed, sighing as she sank into her satin sheets. So silent now, so peaceful, it was a good time to dream.

Which was immediately ruined by a series of needy chirps.

Alice buried her face into her pillow and screamed, but this did little to scare off the little homunculus, whose small hands were reaching over the edge of her bed, clawing at Alice's sheets as he tried to climb up. The Romanian tried to ignore him, but he kept chirping, knowing she'd get up eventually. So she did, rolling over and grabbing the little demon by the wrist before hoisting him into bed and hugging him close.

Adam blinked, feeling her warm body press against his, his soft abdominal scales soaking up the heat she was giving off. He looked at her face, her eyes shut tight and her expression stern. His gaze fell before he decided to snuggle in and get comfortable.

Alice meanwhile was just glad she had gotten him to shut up already. She let out a pleased sigh, her features relaxing as her embrace softened. She could feel Adam shift in her arms, noting that she had relented, trying to nestle even closer. The magician couldn't help a tired smile, pulling the sheets over her homunculus.

"Good night Adam."

**=][=**

"Aggressive retaliation, so how do you propose we deal with it?" Patchouli asked, bouncing little Adam on her knee. He looked absolutely terrified of bouncing given how wide his eyes were, but he didn't make a peep about it.

Alice pondered the query briefly, taking her mind off of Adam's dinner-plate eyes. "I'd considered some options, up-to and including reducing his overall intellect-"

"Which would have hampered his problem-solving skills and understanding of basic tasks."

"Exactly," Alice said evenly. "The healthiest way to go about it is also the most time-consuming."

Patchouli sighed, ceasing the bounce in her knee so she could lean back. "Conditioning," she almost spat. "That will take months." She flinched when Adam crawled up her lap, planting his hands in her shoulders and getting uncomfortably close to her face. The magician bristled as he pressed his nose against hers. "Get off of me," she ordered.

"Do you have to be so mean, Patchouli?" Alice teased, pulling Adam off of the pale magician. "He's just saying hello." She nuzzled the little homunculus, who gladly returned the gesture.

"Alice, it disturbs me how close you two are growing," Patchouli leaned forward and clasped her hands together. "I'm growing concerned that you will not hold your end of our bargain. I gave you the supplies, you give me the doll."

"He's not a doll," Alice said, staring into Adam's eyes. "He's something more than I had planned, I need time with him."

The pale magician sighed, "and this is why I'm getting concerned, if I didn't know better I would say you got it into your head that you're his biological mother."

"We both gave our blood, Patchouli," Alice responded.

Patchouli glowered, eyes narrowing. "Alice."

The Romanian waved off the cross librarian. "Stop worrying, I'll keep my end of the bargain when I know he's ready." She cooed softly as Adam rubbed his nose against hers, chirping as he cupped her cheeks.

Patchouli sighed, at this rate he'll never be ready.

**=][=**

"See the dog," Alice enunciated carefully before flipping the page. "See the dog run." She then flipped back to the previous page. Adam then tried his hand at reading, spouting toddler gibberish before flipping the page and speaking more nonsense. He looked up at his surrogate, obviously proud of himself, and Alice couldn't help smiling at her darling little monster. "Very good Adam," she said, leaning down and rubbing her nose against his.

"Buh," the little homunculus eloquently and oh so lovingly responded, cupping Alice's cheeks so she wouldn't leave him. The Romanian giggled, playfully craning her head and play-biting his forearm. Adam went bug-eyed, releasing Alice and trying to pull his hand away. She released him quickly, letting him inspect the nonexistent damage. "Ahh," he said, giving her an open-mouthed grin, realizing his fear was for naught.

"Tea," Shanghai announced, floating into the room with tray in hand. Adam watched Shanghai intently, waiting patiently for her to finish. Shanghai had noticed Adam's stares, and set the tray aside, floating down and sitting in front of him. Adam started bouncing in his seat reaching out to her. Shanghai leaned forward, and Adam made a few attempts to grab her shoulders. After several failed attempts, Shanghai reached out as Adam tried again, pulling him into a gentle hug. Adam cooed in her arms, nuzzling his adoptive sibling. Shanghai gave him a gentle squeeze before releasing him, letting him unceremoniously topple over.

"Up you go, honey," Alice gingerly lifted Adam back up, scanning his face to see his reaction. He just had that open-mouth grin on his face, looking the picture of amused. "Nothing will get to you, will it?"

"Alice? It's Marisa! I'm coming in!"

The magician nearly jumped out of her skin at the intrusion, "can you at least knock Marisa?!" She hopped to her feat, pushing Adam behind her.

Marisa entered the room with an aura of purpose. "I'm sorry Alice, but this has been botherin' me for days. I need to know more about who you plan to... to..." she trailed off, staring at Alice's dress with wide eyes.

Alice's eyes went equally wide, her gaze following Marisa's. Peeking out from behind Alice was Adam, who had joined the saucer-eye club it seemed. He chirped, slightly hunched as he approached Marisa. "No Adam!" the Romanian snapped, easily reading the body language. Adam flinched, stopping dead in his tracks before retreating back to Alice's side.

"S-so that's it?" Marisa asked, dropping to one knee. "This is who I..." she trailed off as she exchanged looks with the tiny black thing, trying to get some reading on him. "I'm sorry little guy."

Adam cocked his head at Marisa, lurching forward before he looked to Alice. She frowned at him, but nodded. "Behave."

The homunculus nodded, letting out a soft "buh," before casting his gaze back to Marisa. He made a beeline toward her, trying to take a more nonthreatening and submissive posture. Marisa felt an urge to retreat as he stepped forward, just waiting for him to suddenly scream at her and curse her for the role she played in what happened.

Adam stopped dead in his tracks when Marisa flinched. He waited for a moment, slowly taking another step forward when she did nothing. They were less than a meter from each other now, staring. When Adam got into arm's reach, he plopped onto the floor, crossing his legs and holding his little feet in his claws as he rocked in his seat. He looked at Marisa expectantly, silently asking what she would do now.

Marisa sat down, following the little freak's example and crossing her legs. Adam blinked at her, opening his mouth, "aaah!" He suddenly looked rather excited as he reached out to her. Marisa flinched when his tiny hands grabbed her fingers. He swung his arms with hers in tow, a strange toothy smile appearing on his face. The young magician found herself laughing, albeit a bit nervously. His smile just sort of rubbed off on her.

"And I was worried you'd hate me," Marisa said wistfully, not even aware she'd said it out loud.

Alice smiled, watching her friend and her spawn play. "Was that what you were so scared of, Marisa?" She watched her friend try to come up with a retort, but Adam's enthusiastic bouncing in his seat as he swung arms with her stole her voice.

Then the magician had an idea, she clasped hands with her new friend, rising to her feet. Adam let out a soft gasp as he was pulled onto his own. Marisa giggled girlishly, slowly swinging his arms and stepping to and fro, pulling Adam into a simple dance. He was hyperventilating, so visibly excited by what he was doing. He hopped and danced, easily out-pacing Marisa and taking the lead.

To think she was so terrified of coming face to face with the fruit Alice's labor, when it turned out to be a happy, energetic child.

"Ma! Ma!" Adam pulled Marisa over to Alice, offering his and Marisa's arms to her. The Romanian smiled, taking both hands and unceremoniously getting yanked into Adam's little dance. The homunculus' dancing grew more and more wild, until eventually he tripped on his own feet and toppled over. Alice and Marisa were pulled down as well, laughing heartily as the younger magician helped Adam off the ground. He looked no worse for wear, panting as he rode out the adrenaline rush, eyes wide.

"Now do you see why I did this?" Alice asked, taking Adam's hand. "There's this, and there's the idea that he's going to make someone very happy. It's every toy-maker's dream, to make children happy."

Marisa frowned a bit. "He's still going to Flandre?" Alice's nod made her brow furrow. "You certain she'll be a good mom?"

"I told Patchouli I'd like to meet her myself, but I think she will. It just comes naturally," Alice responded with a serene smile.

"Ma," Adam said again. "Ma, ma, ma, ma, ma!" he continued, crawling into Alice's lap and cupping her cheeks. "Mama!"

It wasn't often Alice cried, but this was just one of those times.

**=][=**

After that first day, Marisa started visiting regularly again, playing with Adam as much as she could. Alice was enjoying it, but it was exasperating having what amounted to two kids running around her house causing trouble. Though on retrospect she should have savored it, because when things settled down suddenly the day was just that more boring.

"King Ryon came with twenty armed men, and Balyn and Balan attacked with such fury that many were slain and the rest fled." Today Adam's reading material was the tale Balyn and Balan from Arthurian legend. He liked to read, Alice joked it was something he got from his mother, something that confused Marisa to no end. Still though, it was nice to read to him, he was a great audience. As Marisa thought this, she looked up and noticed that Adam had passed out on the floor again. She sighed in amusement, closing her book and setting it aside. "Look's like he's out again."

Alice nodded, "one week left," she noted somberly, gingerly picking up her sleeping charge. "I'm going to miss him."

"We still have time!" Marisa blinked, shocking herself with how indignant she sounded. "I-I mean," she coughed awkwardly, "we can still make the most of it. Reimu set aside tomorrow to come see him for herself."

"Oh I know," Alice said, cradling Adam in her arms, smiling as he shifted himself to get more comfortable. "After Reimu visits he's going to meet Flandre for the first time. I'm kind of nervous, I mean he doesn't exactly look like a doll, even though Patchouli assured me Flandre would love him."

Marisa eyed Adam, noticing something. "He's getting bigger."

Alice blinked, looking down to the homunculus. "Is he?" she asked, giving him a brief glance over. There wasn't a scale out of place, she really couldn't tell. "You sure?"

"It's just a bit, but it's there. I mean, look at his arms," the younger magician held up Adam's hand, pointing to his bicep. "Not so little anymore." It was true, there was some muscle developing there, and as active as Adam was, he never pushed himself enough to warrant such growth.

Alice furrowed her brow. "I may have to get an extension, this shouldn't be happening. I need to go talk to Patchouli, can you watch him?"

Marisa shrugged indifferently, "I don't mind, he's asleep anyway." Alice nodded, gently handing Marisa her burden. After Adam was securely in Marisa's arms, the Romanian magician hurried off, concern clear on her face.

Adam shifted in Marisa's arms, his muscles clenching and his brow furrowing in discomfort. Marisa decided to take him to bed, hoping that he wouldn't wake up soon. Thankfully, Adam was too preoccupied by the dream-scape...

**=][=**

_ "Hello there."_

_ It seemed like an eternity ago, yet the memories were plain as day. The skies split open and out came a biped female. The beast hissed as she so casually drew too near for comfort, like she had never come across his like before._

_ The woman offered a smile to him, nine thick bushels of fur unfolding behind her, fanning out in a kind of display. The beast turned to face her, inclining his head in a show of attention. "My name is Yakumo Ran, and I've come to extend an invitation," she began serenely. "Your reputation speaks greatly of the fears and superstitions surrounding you, spreading far and wide. This has caught the attention of my benefactor, and she invites you to a land where you will not be harassed by the bipeds you loathe so much."_

_The beast snorted, visibly unimpressed. Its back arched, signaling that his hospitality and mercy had run out. However, the woman still smiled at him. "I know your type," she said. "And you are powerful, which is why my benefactor wishes for you to meet with her. She will be able to express her intent far better than I."_

_ Swishing its tail in the shallow waters, the beast pondered the request. If the words were true, the bipeds would finally leave him at peace. If it was a ruse, he would be walking straight into the biped trap. However, he had never seen a biped like her before, she did not smell like the others, her skin was creamy and white by comparison to the locals. The most damning was her scent, she smelled of a beast. He inclined his head at her._

_ Yes._

_ The stranger clapped her hands. "It's decided then!" she chirped happily. Behind her the air split apart in some kind of void. The biped stepped aside and gestured for the beast to make his way through._

_ There was hesitance, as the beast had never seen such a thing before, but after a minute or two of staring, and seeing that the stranger had infinite amounts of patience, he finally stomped forward, crawling into the strange hole and leaving everything he knew behind._

_ "Welcome to Gensokyo, Gustave."_

* * *

The goal of this chapter was to show Adam's quickly growing relationship with Alice, as well as Marisa. I didn't want to bog it down too much, so we get snippets of the rough month that Alice has custody of him. The following chapter may potentially take a similar format, because while it's important to show how Adam came to know certain members of the cast, the focus is not thus.

I hope you all enjoyed this update, as short as it was. Take care, and I'll see you next chapter.


	8. The Great Escape

"No."

Alice reclined in her seat, resting her boots on the table, she had expected that retort. "I can do nothing to convince you?"

Patchouli shook her head as Koakuma refilled their cups with fresh tea. "I'm already way behind schedule, Alice," the pale magician said, taking a quick sip of some freshly brewed tea. "Remilia's getting impatient, and what's worse is that Flandre's getting impatient. I already stuck my neck out for you with this month of observation."

"And you're not the least bit concerned about this sudden development?" Alice asked. "He wasn't supposed to grow, what if he changes back to that hulking reptile?"

"We will deal with it," Patchouli said evenly. "I promised Flandre something, she's getting something."

"Just keep him here, wait on giving him to Flandre until you can address this concern." Koakuma chimed in.

Patchouli hummed, "it seems like a sound compromise." She took another silent sip of tea. "What say you, miss Margatroid?"

Alice pinched the bridge of her nose, this wasn't exactly what she had in mind. "It'll have to do..."

"It's settled then," Patchouli said with a small smile, quite pleased with the arrangement. "I will postpone introductions until we can discern the nature of this growth spurt, however I want to show Remilia that I have something."

"Koakuma, may you give us a moment?" Alice suddenly asked, her gaze narrowing. "I wish to speak to Patchouli alone."

The devil quirked a brow, looking to Patchouli for guidance. The pale magician waved her hand in dismissal, along with a subtle nod. With a shrug she lifted off the ground, taking off to get the tea set cleaned.

Patchouli steepled her fingers together, resting her chin on them. "What's the issue?" she asked pointedly.

"That mind wipe, is it permanent?"

It took a moment for Patchouli to answer, taken aback by the nature of the query. "It should be. What is he remembering?"

"You said that China watched Marisa fight him when he was still a crocodile. When he met her he looked like he was ready to pounce, the same way he tried with Shanghai," the Romanian said. "Is there a chance that he can remember again?"

"With certain stimuli," Patchouli frowned. "I didn't expect Marisa to interact with him."

Alice quirked a brow, "what do you mean?"

"I didn't wipe his memory of her," the pale magician finally said.

Alice hopped out of her seat, planting her hands on the table. "I thought you wiped his past life! What _did_ you wipe?"

Patchouli pursed her lips, coiling her fingers into little fists. "It seems I've had a extreme lapse in judgment. I wiped his memory of recent events, specifically of China and myself, the rest I suppressed – far easier to accomplish than a wipe. If you told me Marisa would suddenly get so involved in his development..." she pinched the bridge of her nose, "no, that is not an excuse. I simply assumed that it would be immaterial."

"Well can we wipe his memory more thoroughly then?" Alice asked, wanting to race back home and check on her spawn.

"It will undo all his development thus-far. I would take solace in the fact he has yet to attack her. Perhaps they had an interaction we did not see, something that makes Adam amiable toward her," Patchouli puzzled for a spell, seeking an explanation. "Perhaps she did something altruistic for him. Crocodiles are very intelligent creatures, it's possible he simply doesn't see her as a foe."

Alice slumped her shoulders and let out a breath, "I suppose he would have attacked by now if he was hostile to her."

"Verily," Patchouli nodded. "If there is nothing else, I look forward to my custody."

The Romanian glowered, "I can imagine."

**=][=**

"Shanghai?"

The doll hummed as she sewed, not paying Marisa much mind as she floated about the room.

The magician ascended, tipping off of the side of her broom as it neared the ceiling, hanging deftly by the insteps of her maryjanes. "What do you think of Adam?"

"I find his presence agreeable while conversely regarding him as a nuisance," the doll responded, not even pausing to think. Marisa stared, taken off guard by the doll's words, unused to her speaking more than short bursts of simple words. "Unsatisfactory?" she asked.

The magician blinked, "the answer's fine, I'm just surprised you can say so much at once," she shrugged somewhat helplessly.

Shanghai finally put her task on hold, regarding Marisa with a cocked head. "Directness is preferred, why say more when I can say less and still express the point?" she asked simply.

Marisa furrowed her brow, mulling over the query. "I guess?" she shrugged again, giving Shanghai a problematic look.

The sound of shuffling feet ended the chat. Marisa descended, planting her hands on the floor and doing a quick flip for show, landing in front of the little black homunculus. Adam stared at the magician, positively bug-eyed, making the most adorable little face. "Ooooh!" he gasped, his shock turning into a wonder-filled smile. He clapped his little clawed hands, hopping excitedly.

Marisa bowed, "thank you, thank you," she snickered, "I'll be here all day."

Shanghai was still absorbed in her sewing, focused, but she offered Adam a small wave.

"Up you go little guy!" Marisa grunted a bit as she lifted the little demon into her arms, resting him against her hip. "So what's good?"

Adam furrowed his brow for a spell, summarily blinking and pointing over to a window. He gestured with a kind of urgency, causing Marisa to quirk a brow at him. She complied regardless, making her way over to a window so he could inspect it. As soon as she brought him within arm's reach he pressed his tiny palm against the glass, furrowing his brow. He looked at Marisa, letting out a small, confused chirp.

The magician frowned at him, "Something wrong?"

Adam's small yellow eyes returned to the glass. He slapped it a few times, looking both bewildered and a bit frustrated.

When his hand curled into a fist Marisa pulled him away. "Whoa tiger! No need to get violent!"

Adam grunted in annoyance, his fist waving about as he tried to get at the window.

At a loss, Marisa chose to just set the little beast down. "Look let me get a drink and we can do something outside, okay?"

The little homunculus paused, mulling over the idea. He didn't seem too excited, but he nodded, waddling off to find something to keep himself occupied.

Marisa sighed, turning around and heading into the kitchen to find a gourd of water. "What's gotten into him?" she mused, pouring herself a glass of water. She shrugged indifferently, her thoughts concluded quickly. "He's never been a bad boy, we're fine." She blinked, smacked her lips twice, and held her breath. The sound of shattering glass told her what she needed to know: "_I jinxed it!_"

Shanghai immediately bolted off to assess the damage, keenly bearing down on the commotion. Marisa followed closely, so close she had nearly trampled Shanghai when she took an unexpected turn into the bathroom. There, plain as day, was a smashed window, little Adam sized claw marks marring the wall up to it.

"That little bastard!"

Without so much as a thought, Marisa dove through the shattered window, hoping that on the other side was the little black snot that saw fit to smash Alice's property, but upon landing on her feet she saw nothing. Just the overgrown woods that Alice had made her home in. "Oh Alice is gonna kill me!" Marisa snapped her fingers, and on cue her broom shot out of the window and swept under the young magician, lifting her into the air. "I gotta find him before she gets back!"

And so with a unrequited farewell to Shanghai, Marisa sped off with all haste, to the one person she knew could help her locate the little monster before he got into trouble—before _she_ got into trouble!

**=][=**

Curiosity has often been the driving force for exploration, the mere desire to gain knowledge for knowledge's sake. Over time, resources, wealth, and power became the driving forces behind exploring the world.

However, no such reasons drove the clumsy pace of the tiny little synthetic known as Adam. He couldn't place it, and in his limited mind he couldn't even muster a way to totally comprehend it. Instead the sudden onset of instinctual need guided him, driving him to find... something. He could hear that lady on the broom shouting for him, but his mind was occupied. He scurried into the woods, hunkered low to stay safe. There was a kind of exhilaration to it all, one that Adam -like everything else- could not place.

In time the threat of Marisa dimmed, and Adam's movements grew more confident. He started to climb the trees, clumsily hopping from branch to branch. His pace slowed as his wonder at being so high grew, losing focus on his imminent problem. The infant creature laughed at the onset of vertigo whenever he looked down, the fluttering sensation in his abdomen whenever he made a leap. Adventure had tickled little Adam's tongue, and he found himself yearning to taste more of it.

He grew more confident with each leap through the canopy, his claws digging into the bark of the trees rather nicely. If he was capable, he'd look to the near future to see himself flying through the canopy like a master. However, Adam could only really remember the last few minutes of his excursion at a time, as the rush simply made it too much for him to grasp.

This all changed when he landed on a blackened branch. It quickly snapped, and the homunculus' adventure was put on hold. He landed on a bush, stabbed by sharp twigs, however, thanks to his scales he barely felt a tickle. He let out an annoyed little growl, taking great pains to try and get out of the tangle of foliage he had landed in. He looked up, trying to get a look at where he fell, and saw that the whole tree had been blackened. The gears in his tiny brain ground together before finally putting together the pieces, it was burned.

_Let me spell it out for you, youkai!_

His head darted about, a fuzzy memory spurring his flight response. Adam scurried back into the smashed bush, cowering under the foliage. The charred ground screamed danger, that someone was coming.

"Who are we hiding from?"

Adam scrambled from the bush, putting as much distance between him and the newcomer as he could. He backed into a tree, and started climbing up when he heard melodic giggling emerging from the bush. Blackness leaked from between the snapped branches, coalescing and taking the shape of a blonde biped. What kept distracting Adam was the bright red thing in her hair. He blinked a few times, his mind wary, but telling him this was not who he should fear.

The tiny biped waved, a smile on her face. "Hello little one! Just starting out?" She made no effort to approach, the knowing look in her eyes speaking volumes of her tact. Adam eyed her warily, releasing the tree he was about to dart up. He hunched as he slowly approached, all his life-experience telling him that blonde folks weren't all bad.

The girl smiled, holding out her hand to Adam. The homunculus furrowed his brow, uncertain. There was something he was expected to do with that. When he came within arm's reach, he held out his hand in return, miming her gesture. The girl frowned for a moment, but her smile quickly returned, a little brighter as an idea struck her. She stepped forward, gingerly grabbing Adam's wrist and moving his hand so his palm faced her. She then pressed her palm against his, resting each of her fingers against his.

Adam looked at the girl, a small smile playing across his nigh nonexistent lips, fangs poking out from between them. "Aaah," he said in greeting.

This elicit a small giggle from the girl, "I'm Rumia," she said, moving her fingers between his and clasping his hand. "What's your name?"

Adam closed his hand, holding hers like she was his. "Ah... ah... Adam," he breathed, bouncing in his stance for as spell. "Room," he said pointing at her. He then poked his chest, "Adam."

"Hello Adam!" Rumia chirped in a friendly matter, "what brings you to my neck of the woods?"

Adam puzzled and puzzled over the query, as it was something he had been asking himself this whole time. His hand went for his abdomen, and his gaze seemed focused on his belly.

"Ah!" Rumia seemed to glow as she observed, "I think I know what the problem is." Adam returned his gaze to the little girl, eager to hear her words. "Do you get all rumbly in your tumbly too?"

"'umbly..." Adam parroted, feeling his belly. Yes that would explain it, at least in his eyes. "It 'umbly."

"I knew it," Rumia frowned. "Well don't worry Adam, big sis knows how to fix that!" Adam blinked, his eyes wide as he regarded Rumia. The girl gave him a fang-filled smile. "We just gotta find a good snack! There's plenty of things around my woods that we could take a bite out of." Rumia gently tugged on his hand, and Adam nodded, following closely as she lead him along. However, Adam's grip was suddenly slipping. He watched as her hand became black vapor and dispersed to nothing, slipping through his little fingers. Mildly distressed, he looked to Rumia, who only giggled as she dissipated into naught but blackness.

The little homunculus stopped dead in his tracks, scanning the dark woods for his disappearing friend. "Room?" he asked. "Room?"

"This way!"

Adam craned his head around, following the voice. Rumia called for him again, trying to lead him along. After a few more beckoning calls, he managed to pinpoint where she was, and continued his trek – delving into the forest and following the voice of his companion.

Over time it grew easier for Adam to follow her voice, even though it seemed that she was purposefully making him rove through the toughest of terrain. She'd rattle on at him, telling him about her hobbies and the best ways to cook meat. Nothing Adam knew about, but he did know that they sure sounded like fun. Sure he had no idea "getting saddled by a fun guy" was, but she mentioned it several times so it had to be something enjoyable.

Right?

"Almost there Adam!"

The little homunculus nodded, hearing commotion ahead. Intense vocalizations, it reminded him...

_ Fall back! Fall back!_

The little beast stumbled, clutching his head. He remembered long-ears, drums of thunder...

_ I don't take kindly to monsters like you!_

Adam groaned. He felt the burning, his mouth felt so dry, it felt like his skin was splitting from the heat...

"Come on Adam! I got one!"

He remembered someone, a girl with hair the color of ash; a biped who spat burning crimson in his face. "Fire... spitter..." He looked up, and followed the screaming. "'umbly..." he grunted. He could smell blood in the air, and it made the empty feeling inside his belly painful.

After clearing some tall brush Adam came upon his friend Rumia, her shimmering red eyes a beacon in the dark forest. "Heya Adam!" she chirped, flashing him a bloody smile. "I thought it would be rude to eat without you, so I waited!" At this, the homunculus furrowed his brow. He stared hard into the shadow, spotting a shape beneath his new friend. He could just barely make out the wet scarlet sheen, the same shade as what coated her lips. He tentatively made his way over, inspecting the body as more detail came into view.

It was a biped, a larger one compared to Rumia, but a biped nonetheless. If Adam could furrow his brow any more he would, but there was no other way he could convey a greater magnitude of utter confusion. He hunkered down, sniffing the broken body. He remembered this smell... somewhere...

Adam snarled, his lips parting; peeling back and revealing his sharp jaws. Solid bone plates, easily capable of shearing chunks of flesh. Rumia clapped her hands, impressed by his dental work. His teeth protruded from his mouth and Adam dove down, ripping a large chunk of flesh from the carcass.

Human flesh.

Rumia smiled, watching her friend and his protrusible jaws work over her prey. As far as she was concerned things were going swimmingly, nothing starts a healthy relationship like sharing a first meal. The youkai girl flushed as she scooted over to join Adam, oh what would the other youkai say if they saw her sharing a meal? They'd think that she finally got hitched, to a youkai she knew nothing about. Hell, she didn't even know what kind of youkai he was.

Rumia decided to just go for broke. "Hey Adam? What kind of youkai are you?" She frowned when he stopped eating, staring off into the distance to puzzle. The little thing puzzled and puzzled, he puzzled so much that after a while Rumia wasn't sure if he lost a piece and was too busy looking for that to answer her question.

However, her answer came. Adam looked at Rumia, and said only one thing. "Yoooo!" The stupid grin on his face made Rumia forget about the query herself.

**=][=**

"Reimu!" Marisa shouted, barging through the front door of the shrine. "Reimu!" She weaved through the main hall, beelining toward the quarters of her friend. "**Reimu!**" Marisa swung open the door, revealing a sleeping shrine maiden. Apparently the day was so slow she didn't even bother getting out of bed. The magician stomped over, ripping the covers off of the barely clothed shrine maiden. "Get up! I need your help!"

Reimu grumbled, cracking her eyes. "Marisa, I thought I told you that you needed to let go of this guilt thing."

"That's not the problem!" Marisa shouted, dragging Reimu out of bed. The shrine maiden flopped onto the floor like a dead fish, much to her friend's dismay. "Reimu please! You have to help me find Adam!"

At this the shrine maiden sat up. "Find him? What did you lose him...?" she trailed off when she got the look of despair on Marisa's face. Reimu felt many emotions, all of them overpowered by disappointment. "You lost what is effectively a toddler, in Gensokyo," she said evenly. "You lost _Alice's kid_." Reimu stared, still waiting for Marisa to grin and explain it was all a ruse, but that moment never came. The girl rubbed her temples furiously, "I do not think I can express my disappointment in a way I can understand."

"I know!" Marisa dropped to her knees, clasping her hands together. "Please Reimu! You gotta help me! If Alice finds out she's gonna hate my guts!"

"She'd probably disown you," Reimu said with a shrug, adjusting her sarashi. "Alright, I'll help you fix this mess, but it's for poor little Adam, not his inept sitter."

Marisa sucked in a sharp breath as Reimu collected her things and got dressed, feeling the lump rising in her throat. Best to get used to it now, if she didn't find Adam she'd never hear the end of it.

"I'm not going to ask the hows, but do you have any idea where he'd want to run off to?" Reimu asked, doing up her hair in a ponytail and tying her signature bow around it.

"I have no idea." Marisa flinched when Reimu groaned, almost expecting to get smacked upside the head. She could hear Reimu shouting_ idiot! _even now.

Reimu tightened her sleeves so they clung comfortably to her biceps before doing a quick flourish in front of a nearby mirror to make sure everything was in the proper place. "How do I look?" she asked Marisa, turning again for good measure.

"Fine, Reimu. Can we go now?"

The shrine maiden shrugged. "I just don't want to look like a banshee."

Marisa blinked, a thought occurring. "Hey Reimu?" the shrine maiden's hum spurred her on. "What ever happened to the old shrine maiden attire? I mean you make that dress n' sleeves work, but the ensemble doesn't look too traditional..."

Reimu sighed forlornly, a frown appearing on her reflection. "It's a long story, let's just go."

And so, with Reimu dressed and ready for action, and after Marisa got clubbed in the back of the head, Gensokyo's most famous duo set off to track down the wayward little tot Adam before something horrible happened to him.

Upon regrouping at Alice's house it was actually a simple task tracking Adam, the trail of clawmarks and snapped branches along the trees was simple enough to follow. Marisa felt anxious though, if they could follow him, what kind of enterprising predator could do the same? What if he was already found? "What if he got ate?!"

"Not the strangest outburst you've had in recent memory," Reimu said, drifting through the forest canopy, following the trail left behind by Adam.

Marisa flushed, coughing a little. "Just... thinking out loud."

"What's he like?" the shrine maiden suddenly asked. "Is he energetic?"

"O-oh yeah!" Marisa said, a small smile forming on her face as memories of her time spent playing with the homunculus distracted her. "He's just a rough little ball of no work and all play!"

"I always admired that about children," Reimu said evenly. "So much energy. I wouldn't be surprised if they told me they only sleep because everyone else did." Reimu hummed when the trail abruptly stopped with a snapped branch. With nowhere else to go she descended, into a charred crater. She hummed, impressed by the local devestation. "Looks like someone tangled with Mokou," the shrine maiden observed, noting the massive claw marks and tail sweeps. "Someone very large... like that armored dragon."

Marisa coughed. "A-about that..."

"In a minute, I can see little bare feet in the soot." Reimu landed, giving the small footprints a good once over. "Do those fit his profile, Marisa?"

The magician hopped off her broom and made her way over. "They look about right. You can even see his cute little claws..." she trailed off as she followed the footprints and hand-prints into a nearby bush, only for a trail of kicked up ash to lead in another direction. Both girls followed the commotion, and spotted some shoe-prints in the piles of ash. "Who do you think those belong to?"

"If I had to guess..." Reimu mulled it over briefly, knowing already but she had to consider anyone else who wore those shoes in that size. "Well since Shanghai never leaves the house -based on your accounts- I'd have to say he met Rumia."

Marisa's eyes started welling. She ruined everything, just when she thought that maybe his life would be better as a little guy, he got ate... "I'm so sorry champ..." the magician sniffled, trying to wipe away any tears. "I guess I did ruin everythin' for you after all."

She was promptly smacked in the back of the head by Reimu's homing talisman. "Wh-what was that for?!" Marisa cried, whining and nursing the growing welt.

"Is this the real you, Marisa?" Reimu asked pointedly. "Just wallow in all your misfortunes? I must have been running all over Gensokyo with someone else then, because you're not the girl I know."

"It's hard, alright? After blowin' the poor guy's guts out, hearin' that he got kidnapped by Patchouli, all this stupid doll business with Flandre, I just can't handle it!" Marisa snapped. "Adventurin' is one thing, but all this ain't an adventure! This is hell because I helped Cirno explode a giant lizard!" she summarily punted a rock into the brush. "And now I see this cute little guy who looks at me like nothing happened, with the same eyes as that big lizard I fought. I saw how he somehow forgave me, and I swore that I'd make sure his life was a good one!"

Reimu quirked a brow. "So the dragon and Adam-"

"The same person!" Marisa nearly shrieked, stamping her foot.

The shrine maiden hummed. "That would explain a lot about your obsession with the little guy." She felt a pang of amusement when Marisa scowled at her. "Now let's use that investment to our benefit and focus. We both know that Rumia's not that dangerous, especially midday. So let's go find her, rough her up a bit, and then ask her nicely if she's seen him."

Marisa blinked, her scowl fading as she focused on the task at hand. "Shouldn't we ask first, and rough her up if she doesn't answer?"

Reimu huffed in amusement as she lifted off the ground, a smirk playing her lips. "Nope."

**=][=**

"Hey Adam?"

The little homunculus grunted, snapping a bone between his jaws and slurping up the marrow.

"I really like you."

At this he paused, blinking at the little blonde haired girl and regarding her with a most quizzical expression. His brow furrowed, absently tonguing the exposed marrow still left in his bone. "Geh?"

Rumia smiled shyly, finding the ground very interesting. "I mean, it's been a long time since I've had company," she rambled. "Sitting here, sharing a good meal, it really takes me back." Her red eyes met his, "I really missed having a friend."

The bones fell out of Adam's mouth as he processed his response. He clumsily crawled over, "Ah-ah-" he struggled with his words, always losing them when he opened his mouth. "Like Room."

The little girl made a high pitched sound and yanked Adam into her chest, hugging him tight. "Oh I knew the feeling was mutual!" she practically sang.

She was gone the next second in a terrible gust of wind that knocked poor Adam onto his back. The little homunculus lazed his head about, turning to and fro to look for his friend. "Room?" he called. "Room?" The little demon rolled over and crawled to his feet, his brow furrowed deeply.

"There you are!"

Much to his shock, Adam was scooped up by some monstrous creature in black and white. He glanced at her pointed head, the glare of the sun obscuring his sight of her-

Oh it was Marisa.

Adam chirped happily, completely forgetting about the sudden disappearance of his friend, reaching out and cupping the positively radiant magician girl's cheeks. "Ah! Ah!"

"I'm so glad you're okay!" Marisa hugged her little monster as tightly as she could, earning a small giggle from him. "I thought you got ate and we'd only find bones and then I'd have to tell Aliceandshe'ddisownmeand-"

Marisa's words slowly started to devolve into white noise as Adam's focus began to dwindle, and his mind had started to wander. Then he remembered someone important. He looked about, eyes drawn to the shadows as he tried to pick out a sliver of blonde or a glimmer of red, something that told him his friend was around.

"Spirit Sign: Fantasy Orb!"

Adam furrowed his brow, scanning the forest canopy for that voice. It wasn't his friend, it was someone else. He saw dancing lights, shafts of color pouring from between the leaves and branches. The little homunculus let out several "ooh"s and "ahh"s as he beheld the spectacle. If only he could get a look at what was happening just beyond.

"Let's get you cleaned up, just look at all these cuts!"

Adam blinked as Marisa gently pressed her glowing palm on his chest. It felt very warm, and the child jumped at the contact. He watched as all the scars on his scales and all the blood staining his natural armor fade into nothing. Adam started to shiver and hop, the excitement from what he was seeing overtaking him.

"Pretty cool, huh?" Marisa asked, burning away the last of the blood and healing the scars. "Your mom taught me how to do this."

"Mama!" Adam responded happily at the mention of Alice.

"It's... also what I used to heal you at the lake..." Marisa said, her smile replaced with a small frown.

Adam blinked, cocking his head. Lake? He then let out a little growl, his head starting to throb. He felt a set of comforting lips on his forehead, dismissing the ache in his skull.

"You're alright now, little man," she said softly. "Once Reimu kicks Rumia's face in we'll head home and we can take a nap. How does that sound?"

Adam let out an "ooh" of agreement, nodding his head. A nap sounded lovely right now.

"Why'd you run off, anyway? You know the forest is dangerous, especially for cute little guys like you," Marisa said, prodding Adam's chest with her index finger.

Adam looked Marisa straight in the eye and said only one thing. "Grow."

In all honesty, Marisa wasn't expecting an answer. Adam usually would think of the answer before his eyes would get lidded and he'd forget about the whole thing, but this time he straight up answered without missing a beat. Such a strange answer too.

The magician girl shrugged it off, lifting the little black demon off of the ground. "I wonder how hard Reimu's kicking ass."

Meanwhile above the canopy, Reimu was living up to the reputation she had established in Gensokyo. Several yin-yang orbs danced around her as she flourished through the air, spitting Danmaku fire at Rumia.

The blonde beast weaved through the chaotic red orbs, her hands glowing with an azure light as she neared the shrine maiden. "Take this!" she hurled her hands forward, and from her palms two dense beams of light blast forth.

Reimu drew a circle around herself with a pirouette, encasing herself in a crackling red orb. The moment Rumia's attack hit the orb fluctuated violently, rapidly growing and growing. The shrine maiden shot forth toward Rumia, who turned tail and began to high tail it back. The shrine maiden laughed, drawing in the air with her Gohei once more.

Rumia cried out as she was bound by a yellow band, holding her in place as the shrine maiden's yin yang orbs danced forth, forming a circle around Rumia. "Reflect on this!" the shrine maiden shouted. The orbs fired on Rumia, swallowing her in a black cloud laden with crimson sparks. This brutal barrage continued until the red-white snapped her fingers, dismissing the orbs.

"That the best you got!?" Rumia snapped as the smoke cleared. Reimu snorted in response, reaching behind herself and producing a single yin-yang orb. She readied her gohei and tossed the orb into the air. The moment it dropped in front of her she swung her gohei like a bat, smacking the yin-yang orb forth and into Rumia. The shadow youkai was tackled into the darker parts of the woods by the orb, the perfect place to reflect on trying to corrupt an impressionable toddler.

Her work completed, Reimu descended through the canopy, rejoining Marisa and Adam on solid ground. "She went down faster than I thought she would, her game's gone down the drain."

Marisa laughed, "or maybe you're just getting' too good!"

"There's also that," Reimu noted before her gaze fell to Adam, who was clinging to Marisa like his own mother. "Hey handsome, long time no see," she said with a warm smile. Adam chirped in retort, holding out a hand to Reimu, groping the air. Marisa quickly handed the little homunculus over, giving Reimu the chance to finally have the little tyke in her arms. "You're not as heavy as you look," she noted, hefting Adam as he sank his claws into her clothing, safe and secure. "Alright, let's get you home before mom finds out."

With Adam recovered, Gensokyo's dynamic duo made for Alice's house with due haste, hoping that she had yet to return from her visit with Patchouli. However, over the course of the trip Marisa was still nagged by Adam's answer to her question. He left to grow. Like there was something he needed to get started. The magician shook her head when her eyes met those of the subject of her thoughts, who offered her a fang-filled grin. She just couldn't picture a little creature like him doing anything bad.

* * *

_I wanted the fight with Rumia to be longer, but she's got no spellcards._

_Other than that not much to say, I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoy writing it._


	9. I Wish You Could Stay

Gensokyo's dynamic duo (plus one) had finally arrived at Alice's. Marisa made a motion for Reimu and Adam to remain behind while she entered to make sure mom wasn't home. "Alice?" she called, wandering the darkened halls. "You home?" The house was as Marisa had left it for her frantic search, with only Shanghai trying to fix the bathroom window being the only real difference. With a big grin the magician returned to Reimu, who was kneeling on the ground over a giggling Adam.

"I'm gonna get ya!" the shrine maiden cried before mercilessly tickling the little demon's soft belly. He squirmed violently under her attack, laughing mad as his legs kicked about. Reimu relented, and Adam's eyes went wide, locked on her hands, waiting for her to continue. "Are you..." Adam gasped when her hands drew closer, "ticklish under the arm?" Adam screamed when Reimu's fingers wiggled under his arms, giggling like a lunatic as he tossed about on the porch.

"Hey Reimu-" Adam's howling laughter drowned Marisa out, earning an annoyed huff from the magician. "Rei-" again Adam was tickled without remorse, drowning out whatever Marisa had to say.

"Are you ticklish here?" Reimu's fingers went to work in the crook of Adam's neck, earning more and more laughter from the homunculus. He was laughing so hard he was openly weeping.

"Reimu!" Marisa snapped, finally getting the red-white's attention. The visible annoyance on Reimu's face only made the magician bite her lip.

The shrine maiden sighed, rising to her feet and leaving Adam a panting heap on the ground. "I take it Alice isn't home?" A few chirps returned her attention to Adam, who was holding his tiny arms out to her. Without missing a beat Reimu leaned down and scooped the homunculus into her arms. "We should probably try putting him down for a nap, he's had a long day."

"Did you enjoy playing with Reimu?" Marisa asked Adam.

"Yeah," he said, clinging to Reimu. "Like Rei."

"It's Reimu, but we can work on it," the shrine maiden said with an amused smile. "Beats red-white at the very least."

After collecting the exhausted Adam, the pair made their way deep into Alice's house, to her very bedroom to put the little homunculus down for a good old-fashioned nap. "He kind of just sleeps with her," the magician said with a shrug, gesturing to Alice's bed.

Reimu gingerly lied Adam on a pillow and pulled the sheets over him. "Sleep tight, Adam. I had fun today." He blinked as she leaned down and planted a quick kiss on his nose.

"Wow, little Adam's gotten more action than your last boyfriend," Marisa snarked.

"Oh hush," Reimu retorted as the two made their way out of the darkened room. "Let's just celebrate the fact that he's safe and sound."

"I'll drink to that!" Marisa laughed as she closed the door to Alice's room behind them. "At least he didn't get hurt. I can't imagine what Alice would do if she found out I lost him."

"I wasn't even gone for an hour, Marisa."

"A-Alice!" Marisa chirped, whipping around to face the Romanian woman. "When did you get home?"

The elder magician scowled at Marisa. "Just now," she said as her eyes fell to Reimu. "How is he?" she asked, inclining her head to the door to her room.

"Ticklish," Reimu said with a small smirk.

Alice huffed, mildly amused, as she strode past the pair. She gingerly turned the doorknob to her room and peeked inside, giving the dark form of Adam a once-over. He was already sprawled across the bed, letting out soft snores. The magician smiled at the sight, "you just want to eat him up," she mused aloud as she returned her attention to Reimu and Marisa.

"So how was the talk with Patchouli?" Marisa asked, hoping to move on from the subject of losing a kid.

The Romanian snorted in annoyance. "She's taking custody tomorrow."

Reimu let out a soft whine. "Ooh I wanted to spend more time with him... poor thing's getting shipped to those loony foreigners already?"

"I have to keep my word," Alice said begrudgingly. "As much as I have come to loathe the idea of handing him to someone else... it's uncanny really, like having a real child of my own. I didn't even feel this way about Shanghai."

"Taken a liking to motherhood?" Reimu teased, a wry grin forming on her face as Marisa snickered in the background.

Alice flushed a tad, but made no effort to hide it. "I suppose I have," she responded softly, brushing her bangs behind her ear. "Mayhap I have taken to it too well."

"What exactly is his fate, Alice?" Reimu asked. "Marisa has expressed her concerns and misgivings to me many times over-"

"Reimu!"

"-and I do believe now is the time for me to hear it from you," the shrine maiden concluded. "From what I understand it is not a just future for him."

The Romanian sighed, motioning for the two to follow. "Let me make some tea so we can all sit down and discuss this, and reiterate a few points," she concluded, eyes fixed on Marisa as she strode past.

**=][=**

Adam stirred in his bed, blinking at the black ceiling absently. His brow was furrowed and his eyes squinted in discomfort. His head was hurting again; his whole body was hurting. He could hear this popping noise inside of him. His arms, his head, his toes, his bones would pop even if he sat perfectly still. The homunculus was starting to see stars from the pain in his skull, and he tossed his head about violently in an effort to shake off the sensation, but all that did was make it worse.

_ Welcome to Gensokyo..._

Adam shot up, panting madly as his gaze darted to and fro, thinking he was not alone. However, there was nothing, nobody but himself. "Gen... so..." he trailed off, lying back down and closing his eyes. He felt very tired, maybe he could sleep off the pain.

_ "This will be your new home, Gustave."_

_ The beast rumbled as it beheld the unfamiliar world around it. Verdant grass and trees as thin as twigs, the sky was a vibrant azure shade and the ambient temperature was much lower than it was used to._

_ "You will be free from the humans that you loathe so much in these lands," the ninetail said with a smile. "Truly this is a peaceful land, none of the strife you are so accustomed to."_

_ The beast inclined its head at the female, its feral eyes still wary of her. Still though, she offered a most genuine smile at the obsidian beast._

_ "My benefactor will speak to you now, do try to be respectful." With a wave of her hand another seam appeared in the air, folding open and revealing a familiar black void. The beast hissed lowly, establishing itself to whomsoever dared to step through._

_ Another female, with vibrant golden hair and a regal hide draped over her form. She carried a strange tool over her shoulder, a pole connected to a large circle, some kind of portable shelter. Her amber eyes fell on the beast, and she smiled a familiar smile, although not as wide as the ninetail's. "I apologize for not greeting you personally, Gustave."_

_ The beast swept its tail over the moist grass, its maw slowly parting at the woman. She did not budge at the display, her lazy gaze looking over the beast's form._

_ "You have seen much," she observed as frown pulled her lips, "suffered much." The beast could feel her gaze on ancient bullet wounds, well-healed, yet scarred. "Thankfully you will find no such tools here." She gave a twirl of her portable shelter. "On to business then," she said, smile returning. "You're here under my hospitality, so do seek me out if you get into trouble, especially with a certain girl in red and white."_

_ "Oh come now, Yukari, Reimu would never strike out against a beast like Gustave, especially if she knew your plans for-"_

_ "Yukari" silenced the ninetail with a hand. "She has before," she said simply. "Do not seek out humanity, remain in the heart of the wilderness, and you will have your peace, Gustave. I do hope we have a lovely friendship moving forward, I have never invited such an exotic creature into our fold." She snapped her fingers, and a seam appeared behind her, folding open to the black void she must have called home. "Enjoy your stay, Gustave."_

**=][=**

"So he's... therapy?" Reimu asked, rubbing her temples as she tried to absorb the information.

"I cannot be sure anymore, especially with Flandre and Remilia's recent falling out," Alice said with a helpless shrug. "He may never meet Flandre, Patchouli may just spend her time studying him."

"A few months poked and prodded is better than living with Flandre," Marisa mumbled, taking a sip of her tea. "I hope he never so much as hears about her."

"Time will tell, Marisa," Alice said, setting her tea cup aside. "I intend to maintain a relationship with him."

A clicking sound down the hall caught the girls' attention. A few grumbles filled the room, followed by the sound of popping bones. It sounded... positively grotesque, making the girls cringe whenever a particularly loud snap emerged from the halls. In time a pair of dim yellow seams shimmered in the dark hall, they looked like squinting eyes. "Mama," a voice finally emerged from the hall, sounding somewhat relieved. The seams grew, and the popping resumed as the drew near, revealing a broad silhouette.

"By my ancestors..." Reimu gasped as Adam stepped into view. They put him down not even an hour prior and he had undergone an impossible growth spurt. Where he was once only to Alice's waistline, he had rose to new heights.

Alice herself made her way over to Adam as he carefully, very carefully, made his way toward her. He started to bounce a bit when she drew within arm's reach, and the moment he could he tilted forward and wrapped his arms around her waist. Alice had a generous helping of air squeezed out of her as Adam clung tightly to her, looking up at her with his curious expression.

He was almost up to her shoulder now.

"Mama tiny..." Adam rasped. Alice could only stare, stupefied at his growth spurt. He was physically a toddler just before, now he was comparable to a boy on the cusp of manhood. The scales on his back had grown more numerous and defined, almost rising from his back like sharp spines, and they had begun to sprout on his shoulders and neck. The tiny claws he once had on his fingers and toes were now much larger and more dangerous looking, befitting the predator he once was. His face, while narrower, was still round and childish, and his muscles were barely defined.

"This isn't what I had in mind," Marisa said, the first to break the silence. "I knew he'd grow, maybe even turn back, but..." she didn't really know how to finish, barely able to string her thoughts together as she beheld Adam.

"Did anything happen, Adam?" Alice asked as her spawn continued to lovingly cling to her.

"Grow," he said again, not missing a beat.

Alice slowly turned her head, looking at Marisa and Reimu, her eyes daggers. "What was he doing when you found him?"

"Rumia had just pounced him," Reimu said. "Nabbed her as soon as I could. He had a lot of blood on him."

"Y-yeah," Marisa said, unnerved by Alice's gaze. "He had all these scratches and all this blood on him. They were probably fighting. The magician shivered, "that stuff was everywhere. Hadn't seen a forest that red in a while."

"How deep were those wounds?" Alice asked pointedly.

"Oh they were real small, disappeared in a..." the magician trailed off, her eyes growing just as wide as Alice's as she beheld Adam open his mouth to casually lick some _blood_ off his teeth. "Adam?" she asked, earning a little hum from the child. "You said you were growing?"

"Yeah," he said, fiddling with Alice's blouse. "Time to grow." He seemed oblivious to Marisa's tone, or how strange his answer remained.

"W-what do you need to grow?" the younger magician asked.

Adam blinked slowly at her, his soft expression belying his increasingly alien demeanor. "Eat."

"What did you eat?" Alice asked, kneeling down to Adam's level. "We won't be mad at you."

Adam's brow immediately furrowed. "You will be," he observed somberly as his head declined, hanging in a depressed manner. "Saying that..." he trailed off, looking at Reimu and Marisa, who were both growing increasingly concerned. "Room helped, gave Adam foods."

"What did you eat?" Reimu asked, her voice stern.

Adam's eyes wandered as he searched for the words, blinking slowly. "It was... two legs," he said, struggling describing his memories.

"Rumia had you share a meal, didn't she?" Reimu asked again. Adam's shallow nod awakened a flame in her eyes. "I'm going back out, it looks like that little witch hasn't repented enough yet." With that the shrine maiden stormed out of the living room, visibly fuming. The way she slammed the front door made the remaining three flinch.

"Rei's mad," Adam observed, his shoulders slumping. "S-sorry..." he whined, sounding like a kicked puppy.

"You didn't know any better, dear," Alice said, hugging Adam. "You didn't kill them."

"We don't know that," Marisa said. "All we know is that Rumia invited him to eat some poor soul right down to the bone, I doubt he killed the sod but who knows? Should you really let this slide?"

"This is nothing new in Gensokyo," Alice retorted. "Look at him, though. He looks crushed. I think his guilt is enough punishment."

Marisa frowned, but nodded. "If you say so..." she looked over Adam, specifically his face, which was contorted into a sorrowful expression. "Let's just hope this doesn't become a thing."

**=][=**

Tomorrow came faster than it should have, nobody was really ready to part. They all knew that the odds of getting to visit Adam were slim once Patchouli took custody. He'd likely just be locked in that basement with Flandre until she got sick of his presence.

Alice decided to take Adam to the Scarlet Mansion alone. Marisa would just put on the waterworks, and Reimu was still hunting Rumia like she was a mad dog that needed to be put down.

The journey through the woods went without incident, Adam was rather excited to meet new people at first, bouncing in his step as Alice lead him by the hand through the untamed thicket. However, by the time they made it to the silent shores of the misty lake, Adam lost the will to take another step. He clearly didn't want to even touch the water., much less go near it. Alice tried freezing the path, but poor Adam nearly bolted in fear at the sight of the ice. With some coaxing, Alice managed to convince the poor thing to walk across the lake with her, hoping that they could make it across before the local fairies got curious.

Meanwhile Meiling was settling down for another nap, having just went through her morning routine. Everyone in Gensokyo knew her role as gatekeeper was a formality, but the Chinawoman loved her job. She got to do nothing all day, and in exchange she lived like nobility. Quite the arrangement as far as she was concerned. Lately though, her job had earned quite a few surprises in the wake of Marisa's impromptu visit, culminating in the hunt and subsequent capture of a crocodile-monster. In all honesty, it was the most fun Meiling had in a while, even if the circumstances were not agreeable.

"Damn these mists," Meiling spat, "it's the middle of Summer! How is this still a thing?" She was torn from her reminiscing when a pair of figures emerged from the gloomy mists that hovered over the lake. "Who goes there?" she called into the haze.

"A friend!" came the retort. "It's Alice!"

Meiling relaxed a tad, but the slightly smaller form the joined Alice's was not one that she had come to recognize. It was distinctly male, with an oddly thin head from the angle she was looking at it. "Who's your friend?" she called back into the thick fog as Alice continued to draw nearer and nearer.

Through the mist Alice lingered on her next step."It's best if I just show you," the Romanian said with a hint of awkwardness. She was so close now she could see Meiling's outline cock her head, but still not close enough to make out her face. She had to advance until she was just outside spitting distance to actually meet the gatekeeper's gaze clearly. "Introduce yourself, honey."

Adam bounced excitedly, squeezing Alice's hand. "Adam!" he chirped, waving with his free hand.

Meiling just about gawked at the sight. There was no way that was little Adam; adorable forty centimeter Adam. "The hell did you do to him?!"

Alice coughed nervously. "He did this himself," she answered cryptically. "May we pass?"

With a suspicious nod the gatekeeper kicked open the rust-encrusted iron gate of the Scarlet Mansion. "Go ahead," she said, still staring at Adam. His gaze narrowed when he met hers, innocent at first, but then his lips curled into a silent snarl, baring his sharp, bloodstained teeth at her. The gatekeeper visibly shrunk at the threat.

Alice paused when she passed a familiar ice block on the porch, containing the resident maid Sakuya. According to Patchouli, Remilia found her favored maid's predicament so amusing that she decreed nobody touch her until she thaws on her own.

She'd been frozen for a month now, people were starting to wonder if she'd ever thaw.

Adam was fascinated with the frozen woman, dancing in front of her and making faces in an attempt to get a reaction. Alice really hoped that Sakuya wasn't conscious for any of this, she'd hate for the two of them to get off on the wrong foot.

Not-as-little Adam asked a few innocent questions about Sakuya, and Alice did her best to answer, as all of them revolved around her being frozen. The exchange continued as the pair made their way to the library, garnering looks from the resident maids that ranged from surprise to sheer terror. The Romanian tried to ignore them, thinking more about the past month and how it had just flown by, how she wished she had more time...

Adam was pretty excited by the time Alice lead him to the library. He loved meeting new people, and with Reimu setting the bar so high, he seemed ready to get blown away by what awaited him in the library. Alice shed a tear over his enthusiasm. It was hard to stay positive when he was going to be raised from here on by that grump Patchouli.

Sucking in a deep breath, Alice let herself and Adam into the library. The entire area had been rearranged to accommodate Adam, a wide space set aside for him to reside. A small bed, an empty bookshelf, even a box of old toys. Alice was... impressed to say the least. Part of her expected a little cage, or a stake in the floor with a chain leash.

Adam let out a soft gasp, tugging on Alice's sleeve. "Who's that?" he asked, pointing at the bed.

"I think that's for you," she answered. "You get your own bed now."

Adam immediately frowned, staring at the bed warily. "Sleep with mama," he said, shuffling a little closer. "No like alone."

"I can see now why you were so worried," Patchouli said, making her presence known. The magician drifted over to the pair, barely hovering over the ground, gliding effortlessly like a spirit. "Such a substantial growth-spurt does strike me as concerning."

"Too late now, it's your problem," Alice retorted tartly.

Adam meanwhile was bouncing excitedly, "Mama Patchy!" he greeted happily. Alice flinched, knowing her cohort's distaste for such a title.

"Hello Adam," Patchouli greeted evenly, for once unperturbed by Adam's words. "I do hope your accommodations are to your liking, until you are deemed fit for your task this will be your new home."

"He's still a child," Alice snipped. "Do you have to be so impersonal about it, could you be comforting maybe? I mean this is a big transition for him."

"He's taken to walking on two legs well enough," Patchouli observed. "I think he can handle a change of scenery."

"Adam stay here now?"

Patchouli offered a simple nod. "Yes, Adam will be staying here," she told him.

This only made the child frown as he looked to Alice. "Mama stay too?" Alice felt a lump form in her throat, and she had to look away for a moment as she tried to formulate an answer. Sadly the insistent tugging on her blouse made that difficult. "Mama stay too?" the homunculus asked once more.

"Adam, Alice will have her own room," Patchouli said, garnering the youth's attention. "She will be staying elsewhere. If you do fear solitude I'm sure Koakuma would be delighted to keep you company."

"Koa," Adam parroted thoughtfully, scratching his cheek with a claw.

"I'm sure the sight will be lovely," Patchouli said with a sinister smirk. "In fact let's get them introduced now. Koakuma!"

"Patchouli I don't think-"

Instead of gracefully dropping like she usually did, Koakuma slowly drifted down from above, guarding her chest with a particularly thick book. "Y-yes?" she asked, staring at Adam like he was death.

Patchouli's small smirk only seemed to grow. "Come down here Koakuma, you seemed interested when you first saw him."

The devil drifted naught but an inch closer. "He was cuter and looked more like a baby," she responded.

"Oh come now," Patchouli teased, patting Adam on the head, interrupting his somber thoughts. "He's still a child, just not an infant."

"Patchouli there's something different about him," Koakuma insisted. "He just looks different."

Such an observation earned an amused scoff from the pale magician, giving Adam a once-over with a bemused look. "Well let's see, he's taller, thicker scales, lovely claws. I really don't see it, Koakuma. He looks like any child I'd have."

Alice tried not to do a double take, she knew better than to take that seriously.

"Th-the resemblance is striking, ma'am," Koakuma shakily responded, refusing to hazard landing and getting within spitting distance of the monstrous child.

Infinitely amused, Patchouli continued to tease Koakuma. Meanwhile, Alice looked to Adam, who returned her gaze with a somber look. "You go home..." he whined, seeing through Patchouli's economic truth. "No go. Stay."

Alice knelt down and pulled Adam into her embrace. "I'll still see you, honey. You're just going to be living here from now on." The homunculus continued to whine plaintively, his words ranging from "no go" to "stay mama please". "Hon'..." Alice trailed off as Adam chirped sadly. "I'll come see you still, okay? And you'll have lots of friends here, okay?"

Adam shuffled in Alice's arms. "Come back soon?" he asked.

Alice gave her spawn a reassuring squeeze. "Very soon."

The homunculus fell silent with that, slowly wiggling out of Alice's embrace. He read her face carefully, not one-hundred percent sure she was being truthful. After a minute or two his concern settled, seemingly satisfied. "See soon, mama."

Alice mentally sighed in relief, but her heart still ached. "_Not soon enough,_" she mumbled under her breath, which Adam thankfully didn't hear. "I'm leaving, Patchouli."

The magician blinked, peeking over her shoulder. "Do take care, Alice. When can I expect you?"

"Soon," was all Alice could offer. She couldn't see him every day, that would just make it worse. "Soon..."

Adam chirped sadly as he watched Alice leave the library, plopping on the ground and rolling onto his face. He whined softly, refusing to get up even at Patchouli's behest.

"His desire for companionship will make this easier," Patchouli mentally noted. She snapped her fingers over her shoulder, "Koa, inform Remilia I have Flandre's new toy." The sound of flapping wings was the retort, giving Patchouli the time to run a quick field test. "Adam, sit up please."

This time the child complied, rolling over and into a cross-legged seat. He looked absolutely pitiful, Patchouli silently hoped this wouldn't become a health issue.

"I need to run a test, are you okay with that?" Patchouli asked evenly.

Adam nodded. A prismatic crystal summarily drove through the side of his skull, stopping just before the tip burst from the other side. The child immediately flopped to the side like a ragdoll. With a curious hum, Patchouli made her way over to examine Adam's face. His eyes were still open, his expression the picture of confused. With a snap of her fingers Patchouli dismissed the crystal lance, which crumbled into glittering dust. The magician conjured a quill and notepad, and waited.

Slowly Adam crawled back into his seat, curiously poking around in the new hole in his skull. He let out a soft hum, pulling his hand away to examine it. Not a drop of blood in the wound. As Patchouli quickly jot this down, a few red sparks emerged from the gaping hole in the boy's skull, and within seconds the wound closed up with little fanfare.

Visibly impressed, Patchouli set her quill and notepad aside, letting them float deftly in the air as she approached Adam. "You may feel some momentary discomfort." She flicked her wrist, a few sparks flying from her palm before she grabbed Adam by the shoulders. He convulsed violently, his skin visibly frying before the magician's eyes, but he made naught a peep. Patchouli willed her quill to keep jotting down observations on her notepad until a satisfactory amount of time had passed.

As soon as he was released, Adam blinked, curious as he examined the burnt scales and flesh. He poked them a few times before starting to peel the dead flesh off of his person, revealing pristine new scales and leathery skin underneath.

Once again, Patchouli was impressed. "This is quite a treat you know," she said, not expecting a retort. "It's a great opportunity when I get the chance to learn, very mentally stimulating."

Adam nodded, not understanding in the least but showing he was listening.

"So what did you feel?" the magician said, summoning her quill and notepad back into her hands. "Nothing? Uncomfortable? Maybe pain?"

Adam furrowed his brow thoughtfully, "it hurt," he said flatly. "It hurt a lot."

Patchouli was taken aback by his delivery, "a-and how do you feel now?"

The black child gazed about airily, "nothing," he answered plainly, rolling his head about like a drunkard.

_You made something special, Alice,_ Patchouli noted mentally, _the beast before me is more than qualified for his task, and the applications beyond Flandre's amusement cannot help but excite me._

* * *

I don't have much to add beyond a request for feedback. Have a nice day, reader(s).


	10. Fate Cast Aside

This wasn't turning out the way Patchouli wanted. If she could be totally frank with herself, Adam was nowhere near expectation, he was in a league all his own. It was hard to classify him, especially within the parameters that were set by Flandre's mistreatment of her other companions that didn't resemble her dinosaur toys. Patchouli may have been glad that Adam retained many reptilian traits, certainly enough to charm Flandre, but the real problem was how fussy the little beast was being since Alice left for home.

To express the turmoil in simple vernacular, Adam has been venting his feelings of abandonment on everything around him, inanimate or otherwise. What really confused Patchouli was how nasty he was being to Koakuma. While reluctant, the devil had accepted the role of surrogate for Adam, who clearly had only Alice's love on his mind.

In summary, he wasn't working out at all.

"Lady Patchouli, there's something I need to talk to you about."

The sound of Koakuma's voice snapped the magician out of her reverie. "What is it, Koa? I'm busy with..." she trailed off, realizing that there was nothing on her table worth making an excuse over. "Never mind that, speak quickly before Adam finds another book to rip up."

"There's something about him, Patchouli," Koakuma planted her hands on Patchouli's table as she spoke. "I knew there was something wicked about that little beast, and seeing how much he's changed has finally offered some clarity." She glanced aside, making sure the little homonculus wasn't near. "I don't think Alice rightly knew what she was doing when she made him."

"I've had a suspicion, given how attached she was, but that doesn't explain-"

"That was foul magic and you know it, and I don't think it's finished with that dragon you had China drag in here," Koakuma spoke fast, like she needed to get it out now or risk Adam overhearing them.

"One: don't interrupt me again," Patchouli snipped, flicking Koakuma on the nose and earning a wounded squeak from the devil. "Two: what makes you an expert on Alice's magic all of a sudden?"

"Oh don't pretend you don't see it too," Koakuma retorted tartly. "If I can see it an expert like you can see that whatever magicks Alice called on that day are still having their way with Adam's body. I don't think this growth-spurt is the last thing we'll see."

The pale magician had to applaud her familiar for gathering all that on her own, but that still lead to one question. "What do you think Adam will turn into then?"

The devil furrowed her brow, "haven't thought of it," she said with a plaintive shrug. "Could... maybe he'll turn back?" she offered.

Patchouli paled, if that was possible. "Something more realistic please," she said with a cough.

Koakuma puzzled briefly. "Well he went from a toddler to a young boy. Maybe he'll turn into a man?"

Patchouli gave Koakuma a deadpan look, "is that hope or fear that drives that theory?"

Koakuma couldn't help a groan, "I don't do that anymore. As I recall I was forcibly retired to be a certain someone's familiar."

"Indeed," the pale magician said with an amused huff.

"We just need to keep an eye on him," Koakuma said. "He's been unruly, sure, but I'm more worried about how growing up is going to affect his noggin."

"On that note, where exactly did you leave Adam again?" Patchouli prodded, resting her chin on her knuckles.

Koakuma shrugged, "I left him with-" a loud crash and a sudden shake shattered that sentence. Both girls hurried toward the entrance of the library. Leaning against a bookshelf was an unconscious Meiling, and lying on top of a shattered table was the broken remains of a crystal chandelier. Koakuma looked up, and hanging from the ceiling chain looking bitter as usual was Adam.

"Look at those marks!" Patchouli said in awe, which quickly evolved into rage, "he's ripping up the ceiling, _my_ ceiling!" She pulled her hair at the sight of the Sistine ceiling horribly marred by several trails of monstrous claw marks. The faces of angels were twisted, and the perfect skies were blotted out by deeply carved scars and punctures. "Do you have any idea how much I paid for that?!" Patchouli shrieked, her voice cracking.

Koakuma took off, flying above to try and wrangle the unruly homonculus, and the moment she got within range Adam pounced. Koakuma was snatched up in a vice and the two bounced off a shelf and went tumbling down. The devil managed to get on top of Adam the moment they hit the ground, and the little black demon was forced to take the brunt of the fall. He let out a bark as the wind was knocked out of him, and Koakuma scrambled away to put some distance between them. Adam recovered quickly, resolving to scurry up a bookshelf for safety. Whenever he spotted Koakuma, he'd hiss and bark at her, gnashing his teeth in a defensive display.

Patchouli meanwhile was trying to wake up Meiling, but no matter what she did the chinagirl would not join everyone else in the waking world. "What did he do to you?!" the magician cried, trying to spot any sign of Adam's madness. No marks on her neck, no knots on her head. It's like she just decided to take a nap while Adam made a mess of the place!

"What the hell is going on in here?!"

Everything stopped. Patchouli stopped trying to slap Meiling awake, Koakuma hid the gun she just got out under a rug, and Adam remained on top of his bookshelf perch. Stomping in with a temper to match the shaking floor was the mistress of the mansion herself, Remilia Scarlet. Closely following her was Sakuya wrapped snugly in a blanket, drenched and shivering like mad.

The Scarlet Devil scanned the library, her ire slowly replaced with exasperation the longer she took everything in. Patchouli looking like she was beating Meiling into submission, and Koakuma was trying to cram a musket under a blanket and have it look convincing. "Say, Sakuya," she said, leaning aside and toward the shivering maid. "Did I drink too much today? You know how bad I am with wine."

"N-no mistress," Sakuya said, trying to rein in her shivering. "You haven't had a drink of al-ah-ah!" she quickly buried her face in her blanket and let out a small squeak of a sneeze. Remilia blushed, trying not to comment.

"A-anyway," the vampire said, quickly recomposing. "Dare I ask what the cause of all this racket is?"

Patchouli and Koakuma looked at each other, and they both pointed up, toward Adam's bookshelf perch. He was peeking over the edge, watching from afar. The moment Remila made eye contact with him he hissed.

"Cheeky little viper," the Scarlet Devil flashed a fang at him. He responded with protruding the jagged bone plates that made up his jaws past his lips. "Now that's a set of chompers if I ever saw one. Come down here! Introduce yourself to your new mistress!"

Adam ducked out of view.

Remilia puffed her cheeks, making an annoyed sound. "Sakuya, he's not acknowledging me," she pouted. "Do something about it."

"Right away mistress." With as much fanfare as possible Sakuya kind of bobbed into the air. She didn't float or glide, that would imply finesse, no she swayed and bobbed the whole trip up to Adam's perch, letting out squeaky sneezes and sniffling the whole way. Patchouli and Koakuma braced themselves for the worst, expecting another random attack from the mansion's new troublemaker. Sakuya made a shaky landing on the shelf, and her quarry was but a few meters away. She tried to put on her most stern face and mustered some words. "Now listen here, mister," she tried to sound stern, but it came out congested and utterly lethargic. "You're going to go down there and present yourself to the mistress forthwith."

Adam stared at Sakuya with saucer eyes, his expression one of bewilderment.

"Go on," the maid said, turning aside to sneeze again. "Hop to it young man."

The homonculus peered down his perch, looking at the waiting Remilia. He looked to Sakuya, who managed to pull off the stern face even if her nose was running. The young beast capitulated with a neutered "kay..." and slowly made his descent.

Koakuma slapped herself. "In one minute she does..." she groaned bitterly. "Screw this, I'm going to bed."

Patchouli was equally bewildered, even as she watched Koakuma leave. "H-how did she do that? He just... rolled over because she said so."

Remilia flapped her wings, bristling with pride. "Obviously she's the only one who knows the meaning of discipline around here," she said proudly. "I'd expect nothing less than a perfect performance from Sakuya, even in such a weakened state." The vampire positively glowed when Adam stood before her, Sakuya close behind him.

"State your name," Sakuya rasped, her voice faltering a tad.

Adam peered over his shoulder, his face one of protest. Sakuya's tired glare made him return his gaze to Remilia. He furrowed his brow, concentrating as much as he could. "Ah... my name..." he paused, then poked himself in the chest. "Adam."

Remilia curtsied, not missing a beat. "Remilia Scarlet, lady of the Scarlet Mansion," she flashed a toothy grin at the homonculus. "And your new mistress."

The black thing blinked slowly, scratching his throat. "Mistress," he parroted.

Sakuya freed her arm from her blanket, patting the homonculus on the head. "Well-done." He tensed on contact, but immediately relaxed, looking rather content to get some affection.

"Welcome to the Scarlet Devil Mansion, little beast," Remilia said. "I'm guessing you like to eat meat, given those teeth of yours."

Adam nodded.

"How about we have some pork? Our chef is a master at preparing it," Remilia offered. "Dinner's a lovely chance to get to know more about our new addition." Before Adam could even think about what pork was, the vampire turned on her heel and made her way for the exit. Sakuya stood by Adam, offering him a hand. He took it without hesitation, holding on tight as he and was lead out of the library by the maid, leaving Patchouli behind.

"What just happened?!" the magician shouted.

"Hey don't be so loud, I'm trying to sleep," Meiling drawled, shifting against her headrest.

Patchouli promptly kicked her.

=][=

The walk to the dining hall was a long one, Adam insisted on stopping at every window so he could stare out of it for a while. Sakuya, being in no shape to fight the homonculus in this, was forced to allow the random digressions from the beaten path. Remilia didn't seem to mind too much, far too curious about the mansion's latest addition to worry about timeliness.

"What can you tell me about yourself?" Remilia suddenly asked as the trio rounded a corner and found themselves walking through yet another long hallway. Thankfully no windows this time.

Adam didn't respond until Sakuya snapped her fingers in front of his face. He blinked a few times, coming out of a daze. "Uh..." he said as he grasped the air for words. "Name..."

"I know your name," Remilia said, snapping Adam out of his thoughts. "But who is Adam?"

Adam furrowed his brow, searching his memories. "Hom... homunculus," he drawled as slowly as possible, sounding out each syllable from memory.

Remilia huffed, slightly amused by his struggles to answer her queries. "It's a start," she said. "So I'm given to understand that you have some of Alice's blood in you. How does it feel being part magician?"

"Mama..." Adam glowered, his pace faltering. It was resumed by Sakuya's insistent tug, pulling him back to reality. "Alice is mama."

"And what of Patchouli? I heard she gave blood too." Adam's snarl at the mention absolutely tickled Remilia. "No love lost for our little magician?" she prodded. Adam's silence tickled her just as much as his snarl did.

Adam wasn't really in the mood for answering questions after that, so Remilia and Sakuya had some brief backs and forths until they arrived at the dining hall. The table was already prepped, the several fairy maids waiting on the flanks of the room, eager to serve. Adam tried stopping to talk to one, but Sakuya ushered him to a seat next to Remilia's. He made some protests, but complied regardless.

"Do you know why you're here, Adam?" Remilia asked, lacing her fingers together and resting her chin on them.

Adam blinked slowly, pondering the query deeply. He felt a nagging in the back of his head, it felt like something was scratching around in there. "Invited," he drawled, going into a bit of a daze as the puzzled. "Brought by... yellow..." he trailed off as he tried to remember the woman's face. He did remember one thing though. "Nine... tails..."

Remilia quirked a brow, listening as Adam struggled to recall his being invited to the mansion. She looked at Sakuya, "I was under the impression he was born in the library," she whispered.

Sakuya looked to Adam, equally curious. "Who invited you, exactly?"

"Ninetail," the black child muttered, barely loud enough to hear. "Ran."

"Ran where?" Sakuya asked, wiping her nose with her handkerchief.

Adam shook his head dizzily. "Name," he says, resting his face on the table. "Head hurts..." he whined, rocking back and forth over the tabletop.

"Do we know a Ran?" Remilia asked Sakuya, watching Adam rub his head in discomfort. This didn't look like just a headache. "Are you okay, Adam?"

"I do," Sakuya said, making her way to Adam's side. She placed a hand on his face, gently stroking his cheek as he let out a small hiss. She shushed him softly, "I know it hurts."

"Lady... hole in sky... Rei..." Adam whined. "Gen... so..." He blinked a few times, his brow relaxing. He let out a small sigh, sounding rather tired. "Pork," he said out of the blue.

Remilia snapped her finger, keeping her gaze on Adam. "You heard the boy. Long pork."

As the maids hurried off, Sakuya offered Remilia a concerned look as she wiped her nose. "He makes it sound like he's from the outside."

"He makes it look like someone doesn't want him remembering," Remilia said, indifferent to Adam's still being right next to them. "Talk to Patchouli, find out more."

Sakuya bowed and hurried off, leaving Remilia with the little homunculus. She gave him a curious once over, her brow furrowed. "Where are you from, Adam?"

Adam's gaze drifted about, finding the dining hall suddenly very interesting. "Home," he said simply. "With mama."

"Alice?" the Scarlet Devil asked as the fairy maids filtered back into the dining hall, bringing with them plates filled to the brim with hot food. The conversation quickly ended, as Adam started squirming in his seat and clapping excitedly. The sight was rather cute, in its own infantile sort of way.

It reminded her of when she'd have dinner with-

Remilia shook her head, dismissing that train of thought. She looked at her plate, licking her lips. "No use talking while-" Remilia blinked as Adam crawled onto the table and started mauling the contents of his plate, stuffing his face full of meat and roughage. Remilia scooted away as food and slobber flew across the table, watching in a kind of morbid fascination. Even the maids stopped everything they were doing to watch this tiny beast to match his bodyweight in food. "Get more," Remilia commanded the stunned maids, pushing her helping toward Adam. The homunculus stopped, his head snapping toward Remilia's plate. He greedily snatched it up and brought it into his face, renewing the sloppy horror. The vampire scooted away a tad more for good measure, staring at Adam like a deer caught in high-beams.

"My lady I-... I..." Sakuya immediately trailed off, stopping in the doorway. Peeking around from behind her was Patchouli, who immediately conjured her quill and notepad when she registered the sight before her.

Remilia looked to the two with helplessness painted on her face, a shrug ultimately inadequate for the situation. Slowly, as if not to startle the feasting beast, she got off her seat and tiptoed toward Sakuya and Patchouli. "Look at that," she said, gesturing over her shoulder. "At the risk of being a fool, has he ever eaten before?"

"Alice mentioned that he's not much for eating," Patchouli said, still frantically scribbling notes. "This implies otherwise."

The trio returned their collective attention to Adam. The maids had resolved to ship him his meals on a cart, gathering a few meters away and slowly pushing it toward Adam with a long pole. The moment Adam noticed the cart he leaped off the table and tackled it. The maids dispersed like a flock of birds, screaming and hurrying off while Adam continued to stuff his face.

"I find myself somewhat terrified," Patchouli stated flatly.

"Should I have them get more?" Remilia asked hesitantly.

"I wouldn't," Sakuya said, "at this rate he might try eating the fairies."

Patchouli paused, drinking in the domestic carnage that was Adam's table manners. "That... wouldn't be the first time."

Remilia and Sakuya both looked at the pale magician. "What do you mean?" Remilia asked, gesturing to Adam. "What is he?"

"A crocodylomorpha homonculus, to be specific," Patchouli said. "There was a massive crocodile living in the lake, it was the perfect candidate to be Adam's base. It had survived a battle with Marisa, and who I can only assume is Mokou. Proven resilience - everything we needed to make Flandre's companion a reality."

"He's not going to Flandre anymore," Remilia said, watching as Adam helped himself to the last of the scraps. "He's mine now."

Patchouli blinked at Remilia. "What do you mean? I thought-"

"Flandre lost the right to him when she spurned me. Adam belongs to me now," the Scarlet Devil reiterated, looking at Patchouli pointedly. "Is that a problem?"

The pale magician sputtered helplessly, but finally shook her head. "Of course not, my lady."

"Sakuya, I want his measurements taken and I want something appropriate made up for him. Something with a cravat," Remilia smirked, imagining that rowdy little thing in a suit.

The head maid bowed. "Of course, my lady. Should I prepare a room for him?"

Remilia waved her hand dismissively. "No need, the foot of my bed should be enough. I expect you'll be able to coach him in the finer things of a noble life?"

Sakuya sneezed, sniffling loudly. "I can do that, mistress," she said, still horribly congested.

"You'll do well," Remilia said confidently, neither party realizing that Patchouli had taken her leave mere moments ago.

=][=

The pale magician stood outside of the sealed door to Flandre's room. Remilia had forbidden casual visits, but Patchouli's conscience bade that she visit, to bring Flandre the ill-tidings that Remilia was likely more than happy to keep from her younger sister. She sucked in a shallow breath before she knocked, making sure to do it to the tune of "shave and a haircut" to inform Flandre it was a friend.

"China?" a voice called from the other side. "Is that-" the door creaked open, revealing Flandre herself. Her face glowed when she realized who it was, and within seconds the little vampire was bouncing where she stood. "Patchouli!" she chirped excitedly. "Are they here? Are they here?"

Patchouli swallowed a lump that felt like a stone as it went down. "May I come in, Flandre?" she asked. "I'd rather tell you this in private."

Flandre nodded happily, stepping aside and opening the door to make way for Patchouli. All throughout Flandre's room there were drawings of various things, creatures and people that the magician didn't recognize. "I can't wait to see what they look like! I bet it beats all my ideas!"

Patchouli nearly choked on the second lump that formed in her throat, barely managing to swallow it. "About that-"

"I'm so excited to meet them!" Flandre gushed. "After so many months I was starting to get worried I'd never meet them! What's their name?"

Patchouli couldn't bring herself to answer, instead kneeling down to Flandre's level. "Flandre I have some... bad news. I think you deserve to know."

Flandre's glow immediately died, her smile snapping into a terrified grimace. "Why?" she asked. "Why can't anything go right?" The question gave Patchouli pause, which was just enough time for the Scarlet Sister to find her words once more. "I trusted you!" she snapped. "I thought you of all people would live up to your word! Why didn't you?!"

"Your sister-" Patchouli instantly regret her impulse answer, for what came next was almost too much.

"Again?!" Flandre screeched, "why can't she let me be happy?! Why can't I have something, no, someone to make me happy?! Why does she always have to take everything from me?!" Fresh tears began running down her soft cheeks, her eyes now doubly red. "How could you let her?"

"He was your sister's idea," Patchouli admit. "I was just following her orders."

Flandre's wings went limp, slapping against the floor pathetically, the shimmering crystals dimming and their vibrant shades turning dilapidated. "Why is everyone doing this to me?" she whimpered. "What did I do wrong?"

"Flandre-" Patchouli let out a pathetic yelp when the tip of Lævateinn rested squarely between her eyes.

"I'm done," Flandre said, her voice jarringly composed. "Everyone lies to me, everyone tries to hurt me, everyone wants to take what makes me happy." She lowered her spear, looking at Patchouli with a hollow gaze. "Go, you obviously care more about my sister than me."

Defeated, Patchouli turned to leave. Her pace was slow, and the magician fully realized just how horrible this was. The honest are never rewarded, she should have just kept quiet, hope that Flandre would forget about all this nonsense.

"What's he like?"

The pale magician paused mid-step. "What do you mean?"

"You made him, right? What's he like?" Flandre asked.

Patchouli's shoulders slumped, and she sighed. As much as it damned her, she had just enough honesty left in her to answer this question. "He's a hellion, a little troublemaker, and a slob when it comes to eating," she said. "You would have loved him."

Flandre's silence spurred Patchouli's retreat. As she closed the door behind her, she let out a great sigh.

"I've been making too many stupid decisions lately."


	11. Adam's Game

Patchouli felt understandably upset. So much anticipation with no payoff, so much time spent warming Flandre up to the prospect of having a friend in Adam, dashed in one spiteful move from Remilia.

The magician really didn't feel like she should be complaining. Were this any other circumstance she would shrug and move on within the hour, were this any other incident she would accept Remilia's word, yet this petty little move from the Scarlet Devil of all people left Patchouli feeling... disillusioned? No, _disappointed_, yes that was the word. Patchouli knew about that fight, maybe Remilia had been hurt by it more than she lead on, but to hurt Flandre back in a sick little revenge scheme was beyond someone like her.

Adam hadn't even been here for a week, and already two angry sisters were fighting over him like a toy.

Patchouli paused, confused, her brow reasonably furrowed. Of all the things to start thinking, regarding Adam like he suddenly mattered should not be on the list. He was a tool, he was a means to an end, he would be disposed of when the time came like every other tool that outlived its use.

Yet here she was, thinking to the contrary of her usual assessment.

Patchouli glanced out a nearby window, contemplative. There was still a chance to turn this around, if she was struck by the lightning bolt of ambition.

A one in a million chance to be sure.

"Don't do this Patchouli," she told herself, feeling the storm of fate growing. "You serve Remilia first." Still though, that nagging sensation in the back of her head made her peek over her shoulder, toward the stairwell to the basement. With a defeated sigh she lifted off of the ground and hovered off in search of Sakuya and her new protégé .

Damn the odds.

=][=

Patchouli found Sakuya in her personal quarters, and as expected Adam was close by. He was wandering about with no sense of bearing, having to inspect everything that was in the head maid's utterly Spartan room. A dresser, a clock, a bed, and a mirror. No chairs, decoration, no sense of personality. Meiling always joked that it reflected its equally boring owner, which Patchouli used to agree with.

Not so much these days, especially in light of the mansion's new addition.

"I didn't think Remilia would have you personally train her new pet," Patchouli said, making her presence known.

"According to Koakuma," Sakuya turned aside to sneeze, "I'm the only one he's actually responded to positively since he got here."

Patchouli regarded the sickly maid, "I was more referring to the fact that you are in no condition to teach him," she said. "Look at you. Shivering, sneezing, and you sound like a wreck if looks weren't enough."

Sakuya seemed indifferent as she beckoned Adam over. "Come here little one, it's time for your measurements." Adam hurried to the maid's side, holding his arms out for her. Patchouli inclined a brow, Sakuya certainly was in a league of her own to find the secrets of controlling the uncontrollable.

"Have you ever considered running a nanny service, Sakuya?" the magician teased.

"Hush," Sakuya responded evenly, wiping her nose. "Remilia trusts me, and I refuse to fail her."

"Admirable." Patchouli watched Sakuya take the little beast's measurements with little incident, still very much impressed. "Do you mind if I... talk to him?"

Sakuya regarded the pale magician with a quirked brow. "About?"

Patchouli bristled, "do I need a reason to speak to him?"

The maid sneezed before shrugging as she made Adam turn around, taking a couple last measurements. "Just curious. Speak to him then, I'll be here."

The magician frowned, growing more frustrated by the second. "Alone, please?"

Sakuya huffed, clearly amused. "Fine. I'll return in a few minutes then. I need to get these measurements to the clothier." With that she made her way out, leaving Patchouli with her estranged... relative.

The pale magician felt rather uncomfortable finally being alone with Adam. Usually Koakuma was around to back her up, this time...

"What do you want?"

Patchouli bit her lip, turning toward the sound of that small voice. Adam was looking right at her- no, he was glaring at her. He was very, very much angry. She couldn't muster a response with that kind of gaze.

"Talk," the little homonculus commanded. His ire visibly grew when Patchouli fumbled her words. "Talk words!" he snapped, stomping his foot. A loud cracking sound filled the air, and Patchouli looked down. The impeccably polished marble floors were cracked.

Adam broke solid marble.

"A-Adam I-"

"I ask questions this time," the little demon interrupted. "You took too long." His jawline shifted, and Patchouli could hear his teeth grinding together as he quite obviously pretended to think of a question. "Why?"

The pale magician blinked, hazarding a step away from the beast, but Adam only advanced every time she tried to retreat. Feeling trapped, she could only respond. "That's a vague-"

"Why is mama gone?!" Adam shouted, "why did she leave me here?!"

"When did you get so good at-"

"Answer!" Adam snapped, stepping forward and giving Patchouli a good shove to the floor, unaware of his strength. "Why did you take me from mama?! Why?!"

When Patchouli hit the ground the wind was knocked out of her, and she had to take a moment to recover her breath. Adam's glare bored into her skull the whole time, and soon his gaze proved too much, and she found her eyes on the floor. Damn. Damn it all, how could she let herself be shamed by a mere infant, at most a child?! How could she let herself fall into the same traps Alice was falling into? "Because you were meant to be here," she said evenly, slowly picking herself up and dusting her gown off. "We asked Alice to make you."

Adam did not seem satisfied with the answer, but he stepped back, taking a less aggressive stance. "Ask," he commanded.

Patchouli blinked. "Excuse me?"

The homonculus furrowed his brow, his ire returning in the blink of an eye. "I asked question, you answer. You ask now, that is the game."

The pale magician was thrown in a loop by that statement. She didn't know what was going on in his little head, but she tried to play along. Her first thought was the crack in the floor, but she already had a theory. "When did you learn to speak so well?"

"I listen," Adam responded, as if it were the simplest thing in the world. Patchouli found herself cursing her wasting a question, but quickly dismissed it. The "game" wasn't over yet. "My turn. Why was I made?" he asked, tone outright demanding. "What is... the purpose?"

The magician blinked. Did he just ask what the point was in making him? Such a flippant way of asking. Still though, it was a fair enough question. Patchouli just didn't want to answer. Should she tell the truth, and get burned again, or should she warm him up to Remilia? "Remilia wanted a companion for her younger sister," Patchouli said, mentally cursing herself right off the bat once more. She stopped quickly, though, reflecting on how much she was doing that today. "You were to be with Flandre," Patchouli paused a beat, "but... Remilia changed her mind at some point."

The homonculus cocked his head, "why-," he stopped, his mouth curling into a kind of smile. "You get me to break the rules," he said in a congratulating tone. "You ask two questions now."

The pale magician couldn't help smirking in spite of herself, now she saw the brilliance of this game of his. Trick your opponent into breaking conduct for an advantage. "Where did you learn this game?"

"A girl taught me," Adam said, his demeanor changing. He was bouncing where he stood, his features soft. Whatever anger he bore had been forgotten in favor of playing his game.

Adam's answer made Patchouli quirk a brow, she couldn't resist pressing further. "Who was this girl?"

Adam furrowed his brow, which gave Patchouli the answer that she needed. He didn't know, that didn't really concern her too much. "She did not tell me her name. She visits sometimes when I'm alone, she taught me to play the game. Does she live here?" Adam blinked, realizing he just wasted his question through his rambling. He snarled softly in defeat.

Patchouli hummed, amused, but now she was curious. "I do not know, Adam. What does she look like?"

Adam blinked at Patchouli, clearly perplexed by the direction of her question, but answered. "She is small, miss Remi's size. She has this..." he made a circle around himself. "Was like... a string with a little ball. Her skin was really white."

Patchouli quirked a brow, that did not sound like anyone in the mansion she knew. "And she comes to visit you when you're alone. Fairly regularly then?" Her face fell the moment she caught her mistake, and for the briefest of moments Adam's face lifted before returning to a furrowed contemplation.

"Yes," he answered anyway. "Get two questions now, know what to ask," he mumbled. "You say I was made for someone, Flandre. Who is she?"

Patchouli swallowed a lump in her throat. This was a chance to try and right things, maybe Flandre will have her friend yet. "Well," she said, treading carefully. "Flandre-"

A soft squeak floated from the nearby doorway, and Patchouli's face immediately fell, coming to her senses. Adam jumped, surprised, but quickly relaxed. "Sakuya?" he called to the doorway. "Why you hiding?"

A sniffle emerged from the doorway, followed by the maid herself. "I couldn't interrupt your bonding," she teased, looking pointedly at Patchouli. "I think it's cute, this little thing you two have going on. I remember how much he repulsed you, and now you play a game with him." The maid pulled out her handkerchief and wiped her nose. "You're falling into the same trap you berated Alice for."

"I'm not playing with him, I'm just getting information," Patchouli retorted tartly.

"But you were having fun," Sakuya responded, "unless that smile was for something else?"

The pale magician bristled at that little observation. "I wasn't enjoying it! I was..." she trailed off, groaning in defeat. "Fine, I was starting to enjoy it. Happy?"

Sakuya looked to Adam. "How about it, little one? Are you happy?"

Adam looked at Patchouli, scrutinizing her intently. Patchouli saw a flurry of emotions filter through his eyes. "It was fun," he answered. "Play soon?"

She didn't think when she answered. "Sure." Patchouli immediately regret it, rolling her eyes when she caught the scent of smug radiating off of Sakuya. She wanted to tell her to hush before she said anything, but that would only validate a response. "I'm returning to my studies." Patchouli made sure to leave before anyone could muster a response.

=][=

After finally recovering from her cold, time passed rather quickly for Sakuya. Most of her days were spent showing Adam how to keep the mansion tidy, as well as trying to expand his simple vocabulary. The former was going swimmingly, it was like he was programmed to know these things, and it really made Sakuya wonder if she needed to teach him at all. The latter, though, he struggled with words. He had a habit of cursing in Romanian whenever he made mistakes, and Sakuya had to smack his head every time.

"The mistress knows Romanian, Adam. You can't speak such vile things in front of her," the maid said. The homonculus grumbled in response, and Sakuya could barely make out the Romanian. She smacked the back of his head again, earning a snarl from him. This was answered with another smack. "You must remain calm under duress, Adam," Sakuya chided. "You'll be facing it constantly."

"It really that bad?" the little beast asked. "Sounds like hard work for nothing."

"The point is that we are here to cater to the mistress, and in return we live like nobility," Sakuya responded. "There are much worse places to be, Lady Remilia is one of the better benefactors to live under."

Adam furrowed his brow. "We serve her because we have nothing else... trapped." The little homonculus hissed as he was again smacked on the back of the head. It was starting to get sore.

"I won't have you speaking like that under this roof. If you want to be disgruntled, talk to China. You're to be Remilia's personal companion, and your whining reflects poorly on the rest of us." Sakuya kneeled down to Adam's level, making him look at her. "I'm hard on you know so we won't have to do this later, understand?"

Adam resisted the urge to snort, and instead offered a plaintive nod. "Yes miss Sakuya."

"I may be head maid, but as Remilia's personal butler we find ourselves on..." she made a vague gesture, "relatively equal footing," she offered him a small smile. "Sakuya will more than suffice, young Adam."

This time the little beast nodded more readily, but a thought suddenly struck him. The girls had a habit of talking about him like he wasn't there, and they kept mentioning someone. "Say, Sakuya?"

Sakuya suppressed the urge to roll her eyes, he already sounded like Remilia. She looked at him expectantly, but he was clearly waiting for her to respond. She motioned for him to speak, but he wore the same expression, his eyes darting down to follow her hand for a spell. "Yes, Adam?"

He immediately animated. "I keep hearing a name. Who is Flandre?"

"Lady Sakuya, you're being summoned for supper."

Sakuya sighed in relief as Adam's attention fell to the fairy maid that floated into the room. If she prayed hard enough, he'd forget the question and they could all move on. "Thank you, we'll be right there."

Adam frowned, "Sakuya-"

"We can discuss this later, Adam. We need to get to dinner," she said hastily, taking his hand and leading him off. He protested at first, trying to get her to answer, but his resistance was weak, and eventually he capitulated, his fuss dying.

The walk to the dining hall was incredibly awkward for Sakuya. Adam seemed to have dropped the question for now, but just the thought of him asking that question later made her tense. Hopefully dinner with Remilia again would clear his head of such... grim discussion.

Upon coming to the absolutely opulent dining hall, the pair were greeted by the sight of the mansion's key residence gathered at the long table. A glimmering chandelier hung from above, and the halls were lit with bright lavender flames. The table was finally capped off with a royal purple drape, bright gold trimmings running throughout the outside. Adam stopped dead in his tracks, looking on in awe as he tried soaking all this high life in.

Sakuya meanwhile was glad that Remilia had the dining hall redecorated again. It happened about twice a month, and the rather grandiose nature of this latest iteration was a blessing in disguise as far as she was concerned. The more she could distract Adam with the better.

"Two minutes," Remilia announced from her seat. "I'd reprimand you, but since you've been so busy with Adam I will allow it to slide this time."

Sakuya bowed, and Adam hastily followed suit. "Forgive us, my lady," Sakuya said. There was a pause, and then she nudged Adam.

"F-forgive us," he responded, though he sounded nowhere near as genuine. Sakuya mentally sighed.

"Forgiven," Remilia said with a wave of her hand. "Now come join us."

Sakuya made her way to her seat, but for a time Adam stalled. When he finally began to move he was slow, and he moved even slower as he passed Koakuma. He hissed at her, and the devil shrunk to half her size, hugging close to the table. Patchouli looked infinitely amused, but her small smirk disappeared when she made eye contact with Adam. They exchanged silent greetings, barely a nod, before moving on. Meiling made Adam pause, they regarded each other with curiosity. A part of Adam wanted to sit next to her, but Sakuya made it clear that his place was at Remilia's side, so he begrudgingly moved on.

After Adam took his seat next to Remilia, her attention was solely on him. "Welcome back, Adam," she greeted rather warmly. "I hope your time with Sakuya has been pleasant."

Adam was not timely with his answer, as he devoted himself to picking out words that sounded as polite as possible. "Most assuredly, my lady." He saw Sakuya just behind Remilia's shoulder, and she gave him a nod of approval. "I... trust your evening has been pleasant?"

His careful words earned a pat on the head. "Most assuredly," Remilia parroted. "I hope you don't mind, but I took the liberty of telling the cooks to prepare your usual."

"You honor me," Adam said, bowing his head. "You needn't do so much for my sake, I have hardly earned such." He mentally vomited at these words, but his poker-face was well worn.

"Oh hush," Remilia responded, waving her hand. "You're too good at flattery, young man."

Adam could admit one thing, as much as he hated rolling over for her constantly, he could tell she was trying to be kind to him in her own backhanded way. He could appreciate that, for what little worth it actually was. The homonculus scanned the table as everyone began settling into minor discussions. In doing this he spotted an empty seat, which made him quirk a brow. He stowed the sight away for now, wondering who would come to fill that seat.

However, when the food arrived, nobody had filled that seat. When Remilia started eating, everyone else followed suit. Nobody blinked at that untouched seat, nobody but Adam, who only grew more perplexed. "My lady," he said, breaking the small conversations in the room. "Who sits there?" he asked, pointing at the empty seat.

Patchouli coughed hoarsely, likely food getting stuck in her throat from a sudden gasp. Meiling was immediately behind her, trying to give her the Heimlich maneuver. Sakuya's utensils clattered against the table loudly, and she cleared her throat before she could suffer a similar fate to Patchouli.

"I-I have to use the restroom please excuse me!" Koakuma shouted, leaping out of her seat and running off before the atmosphere got even more tense.

Remilia, however, remained collected, not a single brow shift or out of place vein to express any modicum of ire. "Nobody important," she intoned, making her words sound more true. "Don't worry about it Adam, it's just a free seat," she gestured to his long pork sitting in front of him with her knife. "Your food will get cold if you don't eat it soon."

Adam found his gaze on the long pork he loved so much, still looking moist and delicious, radiating an exquisite heat. He looked to Remilia one more time, scanning her face. "Oh," was all he could answer with.

And with that, the mystery of the empty chair was resolved, much to everyone's relief. However, there was one small problem: Koakuma never got back from her bathroom break.


	12. A Broken Doll

_Greetings readers!_

_(Yes I'm now confident there's more than one of you.)_

_..._

_That is all._

* * *

It had been some time since Adam's first proper dinner, and things were progressing well.

Adam was slowly falling into his niche among the Scarlet Mansion's unique residents, finally finding his sense of purpose through Remilia. He was trained to be her personal butler – to be there for her when Sakuya could not be, but he approached the role as if it were that of a protector. He was mean, aggressive, and confrontational to the random guests that found the mansion on occasion.

Suffice to say he didn't handle strangers well, and he'd always find a way to scare them off. They did not belong, he said. Remilia asked if he was just lashing out due to his own sense of displacement, to which he didn't respond. She decided to keep his leash short when company came, but she never mustered a plan for when familiar guests came to visit him.

"Hey Patchy!" Marisa called as she floated in from a trap door in the rafters, her usual cheer and energy more subdued.

Patchouli blinked as the door seamlessly faded away, leaving only solid wood. "May I inquire as to how you did that?" she asked, shimmering crystals dancing around her as she scribbled on her notepad.

"Oh it's my new spell! The name's a working title, I've been leaning toward 'Skeleton Key' the last few goes," the young magician answered, floating to Patchouli's side. "See, I can basically make a door in any wall I want, provided I know what's on the other side. And I know your library like the back of my hand!"

Patchouli scribbled this all down, and flipped a page to a posted note. She hastily scribbled out 'reinforce ceiling' and replaced it with 'carve anti-magic runes in wood'. "So what brings you here, unannounced, again?"

Marisa's cheer was wiped away by a cold breeze. "I uh... I wanted to see Adam. If that's okay I mean! I-if he's busy or something..."

The librarian quirked a brow, but shrugged. "He's with Remilia at the moment, she's chosen to sleep in for the day, and it seems Adam is keen to capitalize on this. Neither of them have left the bed."

The magician furrowed her brow. "Wait a minute I thought he was going to be with Flandre."

"I thought so too, but Remilia... changed her mind," Patchouli said, rubbing her arm. "Simply put, as his fate was always in her hands, she saw fit to change it."

Marisa had to take a moment to soak this in. It was... honestly it was a much better fate for the poor guy than going to that loon in the basement. He might actually get to enjoy life a little with that little brat Remilia versus her psychotic sister. Hell, Patchouli just told her he was sleeping in! How is that not enjoying life's little things? "So... uh... can I see him?"

Patchouli rolled her eyes, motioning for the young magician to follow. "Come on then, I'm sure Remilia won't mind us stealing Adam from her."

Marisa laughed. "What, do they sleep together?"  
No answer.

The younger magician blinked. "... they sleep together?"

This only made the walk to Remilia's room incredibly awkward. Just what were those two doing in there? What kind of raunchy, illicit things- _bad Marisa! Bad girl! We don't think about those things!_

Patchouli motioned for Marisa to wait outside the door, but both had to stop when they heard a familiar voice from the other side. From the sounds of things Adam was wide awake, and given the nature of his babbling so was Remilia.

"You always ask the same questions, why can't you ask something else?"

Strangely, nobody responded. Which made Adam's next words even stranger.

"What do you mean that would be telling? Why are you here, then?"

Patchouli and Marisa both found their ears pressing against the door, trying to find out who Adam was speaking to, but they could hear nothing.

"Can you tell me your name at least?"

Patchouli shoved open the door in a panic, worried about this alien intruder. However, the only person in Remilia's room happened to be little Adam himself. He was dressed in that wine-colored suit Sakuya had the maids make up, complete with the cravat Remilia insisted on having him wear. He was sitting on his knees, staring at the wall rather intently. "Adam?"

The child jumped, craning his head around to look Patchouli, mild surprise on his face. "Knock please," he said politely.

Marisa knocked on the door, which earned a glare from Patchouli. "Hey, don't look at me, I'm not the one talking to walls."

Patchouli returned her attention to Adam, who was looking around the room with a frustrated look on his face. "Who were you talking to?" she asked.

"The girl," Adam answered. "She visits when I'm feeling lonely. We talk."

Patchouli blinked. "Was this the same girl that taught you the game?"

Adam nodded, "yeah, that's-..." he trailed off, peering past Patchouli. "Marisa?"

Marisa passed Patchouli in one fluid move, running over and snatching up the homonculus in a tight embrace. "Oh I missed you!" she cried, "I can't believe how much you've changed! Look at this adorable little suit you have!"

Upon realizing it really was Marisa, Adam returned the embrace with all his heart. "Marisa!" He hefted the girl off of the ground in his mirth, his embrace tightening. "It is you!"

The younger magician was laughing until Adam successfully squeezed all the wind out of her, and then it was gasps. "H-hey, don't break me in two!" she chided. Adam immediately dropped her, and the magician pulled him into a headlock, showering his face in kisses.

Patchouli meanwhile scanned the wall Adam was staring at, finding next to nothing. Maybe her original hunch was right, an imaginary friend. But this was Gensokyo, nothing was as it seemed. "Adam, where's Remilia?"

The little homonculus stopped giggling from Marisa's ticklish kisses, his eyes narrowing as he drew on his memories. "Had Sakuya take her to bath," he said. "Feel weird about idea myself, Remilia in no clothes that is."

Marisa giggled at that, "scared of a little skin?" she teased. Adam stared at the floor, abashed. The younger magician pat him on the head. "Don't worry, you'll come to like it." She snickered as Patchouli elbowed her. "That is to say, if Remi wants you to start washing her, you'll have to get used to it."

Adam furrowed his brow, imagining Remilia naked. "I do not think I will," he said, dismissing the image as soon as it came into focus.

"Adam you're not supposed to let people into my room without permission," floated in a new voice. Through the door stepped Remilia in a towel, followed closely by Sakuya, who was carrying her night gown.

Marisa gawked at the gown. "You wear that little thing?!" she asked, spotting Sakuya's arm through the disturbingly thin fabric. "You sleep with him and you prance around in your skivvies, no wonder he's so shy!"

"Hello Marisa," Remilia greeted, ignoring the outburst. "Yes I sleep in that, and yes he's exposed to me at my best," she winked playfully at the magician. "Jealous?"

"J-Jealous?!" the blonde girl nearly shrieked.

Meanwhile Sakuya approached Adam, who had shrunk to the sidelines. "Would you like to join me in laundry duties?" she asked.

The homonculus jumped at the chance, not wanting to stick around to hear this conversation much longer. He didn't know why they were shouting, but it seemed to be about him.

"I fail to see what the problem is," Remilia intoned. "He gets a show and a comfy bed, what more could a boy want?"

"He's not just a boy!" the magician protested, stamping her foot. "He's a crocodile monster!"

"How very eloquent," Patchouli chimed in as she approached the door. "I will see you all at the dining hall, I need to look into something."

Remilia nodded at Patchouli before returning her attention to Marisa. "He's a monster alright, have you seen how he's been beefing up? At this rate we'll have to refit his suit," Remilia responded.

Marisa's indignation was quickly replaced by confusion. "What do you mean he's beefing up?"

"His muscles are getting pretty big for someone his size," Remilia said. "When we see him again I'll have him strip so I can show you."

Something about that seemed really wrong. She'd seen Adam without that stupid suit, hell she was more used to him running around in the buff all the time. Yet, for Remilia to order him to strip... it really made her feel strange. "You uh... don't need to do that."

"Nonsense," Remilia said with a wave of her hand. "You'll be able to tell me what's wrong, given your reaction."

"I might have an idea," Marisa responded. Yes, she did have an idea, but she had no idea what would cause him to grow again. It wasn't like he was being fed.

"Then I invite you to join us for breakfast, and you can tell me about his condition," Remilia said. "Adam! Dress me!" she shouted at the top of her voice.

Within seconds a scrambling sound was heard from the halls outside, the sound of shattering glass, some colorful curses in Romanian, all capped off with Adam barreling through the doorway. He immediately dropped to a knee, presenting himself to Remilia. "M-my lady, forgive my-"

"Already forgiven," Remilia said, tossing aside her towel. "Now dress me."

Marisa averted her eyes, shocked by Remilia's lack of propriety, and locked eyes with Adam for the briefest of moments. He didn't seem too pleased either, but she saw him rise to comply regardless.

After the lady of the house was finally dressed by what must have been the clumsiest hands in the mansion -given Remilia's rather crass reactions to being dressed-, Marisa was brought to the always opulent dining hall of the Scarlet Mansion. All the finery and expensive bric-a-brac made her lose her focus whenever she looked at it, seeing only shiny coins where decorations were. She had to give her head a good shake to dismiss the illusions, taking a seat at the large dining table at the center of the hall.

"I'd like to take a moment to welcome back everyone's favorite guest," Remilia said as the members of the mansion had filtered in and taken their seats. "Kirisame Marisa."

They all offered greetings, except Patchouli, who was scribbling runes on a piece of paper and trying to light them on fire. Adam had hurried over and given the young magician a hug before taking his seat next to Remilia.

"Adam, strip for me."

The reactions were similar to when Adam had inquired about Flandre some time ago, except there wasn't any food yet so Patchouli couldn't start choking on more than her own spittle. Marisa screamed internally as she watched Remilia look expectantly at the clearly confused Adam.

"My lady, I-"

"Take off your shirt," Remilia commanded. "We need to talk about your problem."

"My lady, may I ask why you need him to strip?" Sakuya asked, clearly concerned.

By the time Sakuya asked, however, Adam had already taken off his shirt. Everyone stared at him, seeing how bulky he was getting. A disturbingly ample set of muscles on what once appeared to be a young boy.

Marisa roughly coughed, squirming in her seat. This was just too weird, she was starting to see why Reimu thought everyone here was utterly nuts.

"So, miss Kirisame, do you recognize this?" Remilia asked, prodding Adam in his abs with a finger. He giggled a bit, which made Remilia poke him again.

"Y-yeah, but I haven't seen that since he picked a human clean with Rumia," Marisa said.

"What?!" Patchouli hollered from the other end of the table. "That would have been nice to know! He eats one human and doubles in size?! Remilia we need to stop feeding him!" the magician said, slamming her small hands on the table and visibly wincing.

"I fail to see the problem. So he grows a little when he eats," the Scarlet Devil shrugged. "So what?"

"So what? _So what?!_ Lady Remilia, you've been feeding him nothing but long pork since he got here!" Patchouli shouted.

Marisa blinked. "Long pork...?" it took a moment to register, but the moment it did- "you've been feeding him humans for months?!" the younger magician hollered in equal measure to Patchouli's shrieks. "Do you idiots have any idea how big he's going to get?!

Remilia rolled her eyes. "Yes he's been eating humans for months, and if he was really going to grow I think he'd have done so by now. So stop shouting and be thankful he's not the size of the mansion."

Marisa would have been pulling her hair out had Remilia's argument not had any ground. He'd been eating folks for months and hadn't grown. Maybe that was it?

Adam meanwhile looked decidedly crushed. He remembered how upset Reimu was, how scared Marisa and Alice were. However, it wasn't the guilt of eating humans that was eating his spirit, it was how he felt nothing toward it. It didn't bother him, it was just a part of his life up until now, and that indifference made him feel horrible. Everyone was so mortified at the time, and even now he could see that same horror on Patchouli and Marisa.

"My lady, may I excuse myself?" Adam suddenly asked. "I... need some time to myself."

Remilia quirked a brow, noting his somber tone. "You may, I will speak with you after breakfast."

Adam nodded, shuffling off with slumped shoulders and a hung head. He needed to get away for a bit, he'd just return to bed and stew in his guilt for a bit.

"I need to talk to him," Marisa said, rising from her seat.

"No, you won't. I will take care of my own, Marisa, but I appreciate the thought," Remilia countered.

"Like you took care of him up until now?" Marisa asked.

"Last I checked human death is an accepted reality, and most of Gensokyo's residents have a taste for them," the Scarlet Devil retorted. "This is a reality that you can't seem to grasp. Beyond the village humans are prey, and the local predators find them a delicacy."

Marisa chewed on her cheek, nodding her head. "Right. Fine, I'll let you deal with him," she said, ire clear. "I'll put money down on it backfiring though. One day you'll breed a monster in him, and when he starts seeing everything that looks human as a snack, you'll be singing a different tune." With that the magician snapped her finger, and her broom burst from a window. "I'm asking you to do the right thing. Assumptions don't get you anywhere around here, but I guess you know that, I mean it's not like I've been here longer than you." The magician hopped on her broom and sailed out of the shattered window with a sense of purpose, leaving an amused Remilia to contemplate her words.

"Cute," was all the vampire could offer. "I do hope we make an official wager, I could use the pocket change."

"Mistress, not to validate her arguments, but I do think we should approach this with some tact. Adam did look rather upset over the whole thing," Sakuya said.

"It's not like he'll turn on us," Remilia said. "And tact is exactly why you're going to talk to him."

=][=

Sakuya was trained to deal with a variety of things, but as she approached Remilia's room she couldn't help feeling like she was in foreign territory. Just beyond that door would be a problem she didn't have that much experience with. Sure she'd done it before, thoughts of Flandre came to mind specifically, but Adam was on a different wavelength. He was sensitive, if a bit aloof, and he was conscious about what other people thought of him, very much to a fault.

Flandre was a sensitive girl, but she was very bratty when upset, and Remilia was... Remilia. Even after spending so much time with him, Sakuya had no idea how to approach the little homonculus when it came to emotional matters.

Nothing ventured, nothing gained, right?

Steeling herself for the worst, as was often the case with the Scarlet sisters, Sakuya pushed open the door to Remilia's room. Right of the bat she saw her quarry: sprawled over Remilia's soft bed, staring blankly at the ceiling in contemplation. "Knock please," he chimed in a polite voice.

"I wanted to check in on you," Sakuya said, making her way to the bedside. "You looked very upset."

Adam slowly closed his eyes, "is Marisa still here?"

The maid rubbed her arm, "she... left."

Adam frowned deeply, "she was mad at me," he concluded. "Is everyone mad?"

Sakuya sat on the bed, leaning over Adam. "She's not mad, if she's mad at anyone it's lady Remilia. I don't think anyone else is particularly mad either, just worried about you."

Adam opened his eyes, staring at Sakuya with his glazed yellow eyes. "You are worried I will become a monster." He said. "Bigger than the house."

"I doubt that will happen," Sakuya responded, offering a small smile. "You're a very soft-hearted creature. You have your moments of brutishness, but you are very gentle. I don't think you have the means to be a monster."

Adam's gaze became unfocused, drifting back to the ceiling. "You are very kind to me, miss Sakuya."

"I told you just Sakuya was fine," the maid retorted. She looked over the boy, noting his shifting musculature. It was eerie how much they moved when he was relatively stilled. "Adam... does that hurt?"

"Yes," Adam answered, his voice betraying no sense of pain or distress. "It hurts a lot."

Sakuya blinked. "... you do not sound like it does."

"I can complete any task effectively," Adam intoned, his gaze returning to Sakuya. "Do you need me to-"

"N-no that's not it. Did it hurt the last time?"

Adam's brow furrowed as he tried to recall such fuzzy memories. "Yes," he said. "Very much so."

Sakuya offered the homonculus her hand, "sit up," she ordered. "We need to get you some help."

Adam took the hand, looking rather confused, and Sakuya gingerly pulled him into an upright position. "I am fine, Sakuya. I can serve adequately."

"You just told me you're hurting," Sakuya retorted sternly. "I cannot sit idly by when I can help you. Let's get you to Patchouli, maybe she can help numb the pain." She got off of the bed and Adam shifted to follow suit. He planted his feet on the floor, and leaned forward to push himself off of the bed.

The scales on his back parted, and the tender flesh beneath let out a grotesque ripping sound as his spine burst from the wound.

Sakuya shrieked, scrambling away as Adam dropped to a knee. His muscles exploded, forcing his scales apart and tearing his flesh. He planted a hand on the floor only for his lower arm to snap in the middle. He grunted as he fell to the ground face first, which was followed by a cacophony of snapping bone filling the room.

After realizing what was going on, Sakuya rushed back to Adam's side. Her shock replaced with distress. "Adam! What's-?!" she shut up, deciding it was a stupid question. "What can I do?!" she shouted over the chorus of breaking bone.

Adam said nothing, burying his face into the soft carpet as his body started to convulse.

Lost and mortified, Sakuya tried calming herself. She focused, and soon everything slowed to a crawl. When Adam's movements stopped, Sakuya ran. She ran as fast as she could, to the only person she knew who could help.

Thankfully Remilia and Patchouli were still finishing breakfast, more preoccupied with a discussion than eating. The moment Sakuya entered the dining hall time resumed at its usual pace. "Something's wrong with Adam!" she shouted, garnering everyone's attention. "His bones are... gods they're exploding out of him!"

Patchouli kicked her chair out from under her and lifted off, Remilia did the same with one flap of her wings. Now that they knew, Sakuya focused and willed time to a halt once more. She rushed through the familiar corridors, returning to Adam's side before he could even realize she was gone.

The only problem now was that Sakuya could do nothing until help arrived. She knelt before the homonculus, "Adam!" She tried grabbing his face, trying to get his attention. "Adam!"

The black beast screamed at her, his hands snapping to her neck. Sakuya gasped for air, only to realize that his grip was hardly enough to affect her breathing. She looked into Adam's eyes, and ever so briefly spotted something in them. For a brief spell she saw feral eyes, little black slits amidst a sea of olive green. They were quickly clouded in that milky, ethereal yellow. She saw panic in his eyes as he wrenched his spasming hands from her. The maid snatched them up before he could get away, holding them together in her own hands.

It must have looked like the sappiest thing, but it was all she could think of. Out of all the things Sakuya had experience in, she didn't know how to comfort someone who was going through such immense agony.

She wasn't even sure if Adam would survive it.

Patchouli and Remilia were soon on the scene, but they proved to be as useful as Sakuya was in terms of helping Adam. Remilia just watched while Patchouli tried her hand at some healing spells, with little success.

Eventually, Adam just stopped. He stopped convulsing, his bones stopped breaking, and his skin stopped tearing. He just... stopped. When prompted, he didn't respond, and showed no signs of breathing.

"I-is he dead?" Sakuya asked.

Patchouli's mortified face betrayed her own worries of such a reality. She tried repairing the mangled heap of flesh, tried to do anything to help Adam, but nothing worked. Some other magic was working his body, and it countered anything Patchouli could throw at it.

Remilia could only stare at the mangled heap of flesh and bone that was, once upon a time, a mere child. It was rather disquieting that he didn't even bleed, even with all the damage. What made the homonculus run, if not blood? Yet if he had blood, and didn't lose any... "put him on my bed," Remilia ordered.

Patchouli and Sakuya both gave Remilia confused looks, but complied. With some effort they managed to pick up the twisted, mangled shell that was Adam's body, placing him at the foot of her bed.

"Ouch!" Sakuya immediately wrenched her hand away. Upon inspection she saw a shard of bone had pierced her skin. She looked at Adam, managing to spot his face. The light in his eyes was gone, just a set of black pits remained.

Remilia's frown deepened the more she stared into those dead eyes. "Patchouli, how soon can you have Alice here?"

"She... hasn't responded to my letters," Patchouli admit. "I could send China to retrieve her."

"You have my permission," the Scarlet Devil said. "I don't care how you do it, just bring her here."

* * *

_Yes, Alice has a reason for staying out of Adam's life up until now._


	13. Te Voi Iubi Veşnic

_Celebrate the good times, because it's about to hit the fan. Generally speaking, a case of hurried last minute edits._

* * *

"I can't believe them!" Marisa shouted, pacing in front of Alice as she continued her rant. "And then the little bitch says that _I_ have trouble grasping the realities around here! I've been in Gensokyo longer than that brat, and she thinks she can preach to_ me_?!" The magician punted Patchouli's sealed grimoire, watching it sail across the living room.

"It's out of our hands," Alice said, her voice utterly resigned. "Adam belongs to them now-"

"He's your son, Alice! What happened to you?! You used to care!" Marisa snapped, stopping in front of her friend. "I was here when you left to give him over, I sat here with you for days while you cried your eyes out! You don't just stop caring after something like that!"

"Marisa I can't-"

"Yes you can!" the younger magician snapped back.

"_I can't be a part of his life anymore!_" Alice snapped. "Every time I think about him all I can think about is how I can never be who I want to be for him! I can't be someone for him to rely on, I can't be there to help him when times get tough! I am not moving into that hellhole just to be around him, and even if I had the chance it would sabotage his being there!"

"That's a load and you know it!" Marisa shouted back. "You're just scared he hates you for leaving him with a bunch of loons!"

"**YES I AM!**" Alice shrieked, burying her face in her palms. "I am! Are you happy now? I can't... I can't..." she trailed off, shuddering as she tried to suck in any tears. "I can't see him, I can't open these wounds."

"He deserves better," Marisa countered, grabbing Alice's hands and pulling them away so she could see her face. "He deserves to see you, at least for some closure. You can't ignore him."

"He's spent more time over there," Alice sniffled, wiping her freed tears. "What if he's forgotten about me? What if he really does hate me?"

"Alice, you should have seen him jump when he saw me. He was happy! Just imagine what he'll do when he sees you!" Marisa grinned as she pulled Alice out of her seat, "trust me!"

"I... I suppose one visit couldn't hurt," Alice said, finally relenting. "Maybe he will be happy."

Marisa rolled her eyes, "maybe isn't good enough, Alice. He will be happy, alright? He will! Let's go see him, he needs to see you after all this time!" Not waiting for Alice's response, Marisa pulled her friend through the house, straight for the door. "One visit, if it goes well we'll go again. If not he at least should hear why."

"Yeah," Alice said weakly. "I hope it's the former."

Marisa pushed open the front door, but a guest was on the other side, just about to knock. The redheaded woman blinked at the pair before coughing roughly and folding her arms behind her back. "Marisa," she said curtly. "Alice. Hong Meiling, we met in passing."

Alice quirked a brow. "I thought your name was China."

"You should take everything Patchouli says with a grain of salt. I'd love to chat about how much I hate her, but that's not why I'm here this lovely morning." Meiling looked pointedly at Alice. "We have a problem."

Alice's hand snapped to her chest, feeling her heart skip a beat. "He was stable, what happened?"

"Apparently they overfed him," Meiling answered. "His bones have outgrown the rest of his body."

"I'm going to murder them," Marisa said, slowly lifting off, only to be stopped by Alice.

"We need to help him," Alice said, pulling Marisa down. "I can't let you fight over him though. Stay out of trouble, and just let me help him."

Marisa snorted bitterly, but found herself waiting for Meiling and Alice regardless. All the while she was thinking of all the things a hate-fueled Master Spark could do.

"I realize this isn't the greatest circumstance to meet under," Meiling said as they flew with all haste toward the Scarlet Mansion. "I only just found out about him exploding. It's... a bitter pill to swallow." The gatekeeper glanced aside, feeling similar to Marisa over the whole situation.

"How do you even get there?" Marisa asked. "Did they strap him to a chair and feed him through a funnel?"

"I should have seen him," Alice said. "We could have prevented this if we told them about Rumia."

"How was I supposed to know he'd explode?!" Marisa shouted.

"Marisa, calm down. Getting upset isn't going to do you any favors," Meiling retorted. "I agree with you, but as it stands we don't really get to have a say. If they knew how to fix him themselves you think I would have come to get you?"

**=][=**

Back at the mansion things were going further and further south. Adam was still catatonic, every attempt to heal and/or stabilize him was met with utter failure, and worse yet his bones started shifting again. Suffice to say his skin couldn't keep up with such rapid expansion.

Sakuya was resigned to the morbid sight of watching Adam's body destroy itself. After a while Remilia really couldn't stand watching him and went to go read a book, Patchouli meanwhile was still fruitlessly throwing spells at the homonculus in an attempt to make some sort of change, but every magical spell was either ignored or -even stranger- absorbed.

"I should have learned more about that accursed flesh-shaping!" The magician snapped, hurling her grimoire at Adam's body with equal effect to a spell. "Why isn't anything working?!"

"I wonder what he'd say," Sakuya said, looking over the mangled heap of flesh. "You working so hard to try and help him; letting yourself get so upset."

"He's important to Remilia, if it was you I'd be in the same situation," Patchouli retorted tartly.

"Yes, but you wouldn't be getting this upset over someone you claim to distaste," Sakuya countered. "It's alright to care, Patchouli."

The pale magician snorted, collecting her grimoire. "Magicians don't need such petty attachments."

"I do think Alice would say otherwise," the maid said.

Adam's body convulsed violently, scaring both girls out of their skin. Patchouli was immediately on the broken body, managing to find his face. "Look at me you big oaf!" she shouted at him. "Wake up! Do you hear me?! Wake up so I can murder you for putting me through this!"

With the usual pop and crack, Adam's bones shifted once more, starting to... actually right themselves, slowly correcting the mangled heap into a vaguely humanoid shape.

Sakuya felt a wave of relief start washing over her. "Maybe if you confess your feelings he'll fix himself," she teased. "That's the power of love, right?"

"Shut up!" Patchouli snapped. "Nobody asked you!"

"Give it a shot," Sakuya responded. "It might just work."

"What might just work?" Remilia asked, inviting herself into the conversation.

"My lady," Sakuya bowed, with Patchouli following suit. "I'm under the impression that if Patchouli admits her true feelings Adam will fix himself."

"How sanguine," Remilia intoned. "Adam's broken and you're worrying about confessions. I like it." The Scarlet Devil looked to the bristling Patchouli expectantly. "Well? Go ahead."

The librarian snarled, "I have nothing to confess to!"

"If you didn't you wouldn't be so upset," Remilia snipped. "I think a mother should be able to say she cares about her son, after all."

"I'm not his mother!" Patchouli shouted, her voice cracking.

Remilia leaned toward Sakuya, looking properly smug. "I do think she's about to cry."

Sakuya couldn't help a laugh, even in such grim circumstances. "You're such a bully, mistress."

"Aren't I?" Remilia smiled sweetly at Patchouli, who was resisting all violent urges. "I'm curious now, maybe I'll try." She cleared her throat as she neared Adam's carcass, leaning down so her face was next to his. "You know, I never told you this, but when you sleep you always snuggle up to my leg." She giggled at the memory, as well as the image of Adam's embarrassment. "It's not like I didn't mind. If you were to... say... I wouldn't mind if you hugged more than just my leg, I feel rather safe in the arms of someone who can't die." Remilia chortled. "You can't die, right?" A loud pop almost seemed to respond to her, earning another giggle from the Scarlet Devil. "That's what I thought." She looked to Patchouli, beckoning her over.

In spite of her better judgement, the pale girl complied, joining Remilia by Adam's dead face. "This is absolutely ridiculous."

"Hey we're just sharing secrets," Remilia chimed sweetly. "Just start with your name."

Patchouli mentally groaned. "My name is Patchouli Knowledge."

"Hello Patchouli," Sakuya and Remilia intoned.

Red in the face, the magician continued. "And... Adam... I gave a bit of blood." She winced at her own words, but nothing happened.

"And that means?" Remilia asked.

"And... that means... we're related," Patchouli almost gagged saying it, but the damage was irreversible.

"Close enough!" Remilia chirped, glancing to Adam's body to spot a reaction. Much to her disappointment, though, nothing happened. "Try again," Remilia ordered. "I don't think he heard you through those grit teeth.

"My lady, I would rather-"

"Do it, Patchouli," the Scarlet Devil snipped.

With a defeated sigh, Patchouli stared into Adam's empty eyes. "He's... my son," she mumbled.

"Louder," Sakuya said.

"He's my son," she said in monotone.

"Once more with feeling!" Remilia teased.

"_He's my son!_ There, happy?!" Patchouli shouted.

The sound of a clearing throat heralded the new guests in the room. Patchouli took off her hat and buried her face in it, her hands turning a proper scarlet color.

"Looks like you owe me some money," Alice said to Marisa.

"She's said it before," Marisa retorted.

"Yes but that was to tease her devil friend, not to confess how she actually feels."

Grumbling, Marisa handed Alice a few coins.

"Presenting misses Margatroid and Kirisame, as requested," Meiling said flatly. "Now maybe the poor thing has a chance."

"Where's Adam?" Alice asked. Remilia and Patchouli shuffled aside, revealing a grotesque husk of shattered bone and torn flesh. Alice had to get a good look at the thing, staring for over a minute before she spotted a face. "_Doamne, dumnezeule!_" Alice cried, scrambling to Adam's side, hugging the shattered body close. "_Îmi pare rău..._"

Marisa just stared, dumbstruck by what became of Adam. Just a couple hours ago he was fine, and now he was this mess. She looked at Remilia, her brow twitching, but hearing Alice's apologies tore her away from speaking out of turn. "Is he alive, Alice?"

"Th-thankfully, he is," Alice answered, wiping a couple tears. "His body has already started to repair itself, but the damage is so extreme it's taking time. I can accelerate it, though. Just give me a second." She placed her hands on his face, humming softly. It was a gentle tune, it likely had no significance, from the looks of things it helped her focus. Alice's hands emit a warm light, which flowed into Adam's broken body. Sinew and muscle traveled up the jagged bones, coiling around them and taking root. Soft flesh grew over the tender muscles and hardened, taking the shape of reptilian scales.

It wasn't until Alice's magic started kicking in, but slowly everyone noticed how big Adam suddenly was. Even with Alice huddled over him, he was nigh twice her size.

"Say, Sakuya? I think we need to get new measurements," Remilia said, eyes wide as saucers.

"I'll... make the arrangements," Sakuya responded, equally dumbstruck.

Alice jumped when Adam suddenly exhaled, blinking his black eyes a few times. The homonculus shifted, his unhealed skin tearing. Alice shushed him, gently stroking his cheek with her thumb. He blinked, a small glimmer of light appearing in his eyes. "_Ce faci?_" he asked groggily.

Alice smiled as her magic did its work. "_Repara,_" she said cheekily.

Adam blinked at the voice, his eyesight returning as the once black pits became a milky yellow. "_Mama?_"

"_Bună dimineața, Adam,_" Alice greeted, leaning down and kissing his forehead. Adam's arms snapped up and pulled her into a tight embrace, which Alice happily returned. He kept calling for her, and every time she answered until his words devolved into needy chirps, the same he made when he was small.

"Well I feel out of place," Meiling said bluntly.

Remilia was about to say something, but it was interrupted by the pair on the floor.

"_Te iubesc!_" Adam suddenly cried, shifting upright and carrying Alice with him.

The giggling girl was happy to return the favor. "_Te iubesc!"_ she sang with equal mirth as Adam held her so snugly.

Everyone couldn't help but notice that Alice was suddenly _very_ small in comparison to Adam, and as the two rolled around on the ground, lost in their reunion, they got a good look at what had changed about him. He was slightly intimidating, an example of ancient depictions of monsters, rough-hewn shadows given life. His scales were the darkest obsidian, the only light color being a faint line of beige running from his throat to his abdomen. At a glance, he appeared as a hulking brute, and he was, but only by dint of scale. He was tall and broad, sleekly muscled, his scales corroborating and giving his body a very smooth, hydrodynamic appearance, speaking volumes of his reptilian heritage.

Remilia swallowed a lump in her throat, nearly choking on it as she beheld Adam. That exotic physique, those shifting muscles, those soft features, that ass! She gets to share a bed with _that_. Suddenly that cute little black nightgown didn't seem to cut it anymore.

"Wow," Sakuya said in her most eloquent moment yet. Meiling and Marisa made sounds of agreement. "Should we let them have a moment?" she asked, feeling rather uncomfortable just watching the two shower each other in affection.

"Probably," Remilia said, wiping some drool from the corner of her mouth. "I, uh... I need to check my wardrobe." They then proceeded to stay right where they are and keep ogling.

"_Te iubesc,_" Adam said again, nuzzling Alice's cheek.

"_T__e voi iubi veşnic,_" Alice responded, snuggling deeper into Adam's chest.

"_Promisuine?_" Adam asked.

Alice was happy to respond, "_I promit._"

Adam rose to his feet, finally -and very reluctantly- releasing Alice. He was huge. Alice's head just barely reached his collarbone, hell he was even taller than Meiling. The black hulk took a few steps forward, giving some present a startled jerk by how quickly he covered the distance between himself and the next closest person, who happened to be Marisa.

The young magician was slightly intimidated. His careful steps were dainty, mincing even, but as he loomed over her now, having covered the couple meters between them in but a few steps, made him all the more eerie.

Adam leaned down, giving Marisa a curious once-over, clearly perplexed. His bones popped in protest when he bobbed up, and with a cocked head, examined the others. He blinked, abrupt realization washing over his face. "You are all very tiny," he said, tone betraying that he didn't think anyone noticed. "World got smaller again." His voice was higher than his profile belied: hoarse and adenoidal, but the harsh, grating quality was a rumble from him, lending his voice a touch of resonance in the echoing halls of the mansion.

"You just got huge!" Marisa shouted back, still in disbelief. "You gotta share your secrets!"

Adam hunched, looking back down at Marisa. His brow folded as he sifted through fuzzy memories, thinking about what he did to make his body explode and grow. "Eat lots, work hard," he said. "I think."

"Scarlet Mansion, where boys become men," Meiling joked. This earned a dreamy hum from Remilia. "I know we've never really had a sit down, so I'd like to finally get to say hi. My name's Mei-"

"China, remember. Patchouli told me," Adam interrupted, much to Meiling's dismay. "Talk sometime, play game?"

"Yeah, we can spar or something," Meiling responded. "Teach you how to kick butt like they do back home." Adam cocked his head innocently, missing the euphemism. "Hurting bad people," Meiling said.

"Oh," the homonculus said dumbly. "That sounds fun, yes."

"Enough talk!" Marisa shouted, grabbing Adam's hand. "It's time for a party! You've skipped like, all of your birthdays!"

"I could have the girls prep something," Sakuya said. "Your recovery does warrant a small celebration, no?"

Adam furrowed his brow, but Alice soon joined Marisa and took his free hand. Before he could even finish thinking about it, they started dragging him out of the room.

Meiling made her way over to Patchouli, who was still hiding under her hat. "Is it over?" she asked nobody in particular.

"Yeah," Meiling said. "They're done. Now stop being so crabby."

"I feel humiliated," the magician whined.

Meiling rolled her eyes, picking up Patchouli by the collar of her gown. "Come on you big baby," she said, taking the squirming magician out of the room to follow Adam. Leaving only Remilia and Sakuya.

"You can pick your jaw up from the floor, Sakuya," Remilia teased.

The maid flushed, but quickly found a retort. "You have some spittle on your shirt, my lady. It's not very becoming to drool all-over yourself."

The Scarlet Devil let out a cute squeak, looking down and spotting a few stains on her chest. "Oh no! What if he saw that? I probably looked like such a fool!" The vampire blinked, scowling at the snickering Sakuya. "Very funny."

"I just thought I'd point it out, mistress. I'd hate for your suitor to think you a fool," the maid teased further.

Remilia flushed, staring at the doorway, imagining Adam's ghost stepping through it again. "He's not a suitor. He is just a big, innocent oaf trapped in a monster's body. A perfectly sculpted dreamboat of a monster body," the vampire pouted.

"You still get to share a bed with said monster body."

**=][=**

_"I'm sorry, I really am, but I'm not letting you go."_

_ The beast didn't care, all that mattered was survival, and she was in the way. She said more, gibberish as far as it was concerned. The beast kicked off of the ground, desperate to escape. It opened its mouth wide, ready to snap her up and throw her aside if she thought standing her ground was a sound plan._

_ To her credit, the filthy biped answered the charge with one of her own. She dove down, out of view. A terrible pain struck the beast, it could feel several bones snapping. The beast stumbled and pivoted, adrenaline drowning the pain as anger filled its every thought. The beast charged again, blind in its own fury._

_ The female ducked, and the beast angled its jaws. However, she hurled herself at it, catching the beast by the throat and putting it in a vice. It gasped, tail flailing as the wind was knocked out of it. It reached out, trying to slash her with its claws, but every attack grew weaker._

_ The world was starting to blur, and the beast realized that, finally, the end had come. It tucked its legs in one final act of defiance, hoping to crush the softskin with its corpse. It spun, but the biped's vice was unrelenting. The world was getting so dark, the beast felt itself stop spinning, but the world around it kept moving._

_ It all went dark, only a sliver of life hanging on. With its last cognitive thought the beast thought of only one thing, the one thing it cannot risk forgetting._ Yakumo.

"..dam."

_The final send-off was a tightening in its neck, followed by a weightless feeling._

"Adam?"

_A great pain struck its skull, and everything went silent._

"Adam!"

The beast gasped, blinking as it snapped its gaze about. Large hall, resting in this strange wooden thing. Why was it here? Why was the world so small? This did not feel like the dark-hereafter.

"Adam?"

The beast snapped its head to the side, regarding the pink thing next to him. Small, a blue mane this time. Wings? That was a new one. Nine tails, fire-spitters, red-hairs. So many different softskins here. "Are his eyes supposed to look like that?" she was immediately grabbed by a larger, silver-maned biped. Who hastily pulled her away.

The beast gave the room a cursory glance, sizing up the other bipeds. His gaze narrowed when he spotted a familiar red mane. "_You._"

"Everyone out of the room," Alice ordered, standing up. "Marisa, Meiling, you're with me."

"What's going on?" Meiling asked, rising out of her seat as Adam stepped onto the dining table. "Why is Adam-"

"_Gustave_," Adam corrected, striding across the table. He stomped on the table, shattering the wood as he kicked off. Before anyone could blink he sailed into Meiling and tackled her through the nearby wall, barreling into the mansion Courtyard. Adam snatched Meiling by the hair and swung her into the ground, the earth heaving and splitting from the sudden displacement. The beast spun on his heels and hurled Meiling off into the nearby brick wall, watching her plow through it like it was made of loose stone.

"Adam!"

The black beast did an about-face, sizing up the two who so brazenly called him family. "Leave."

"No," Alice answered, a few dolls floating out from under her dress, all armed with comically proportioned weapons.

Adam hunkered down, hunching his back to make himself appear larger. The dolls all flew forward to meet the monster's boast. Adam snatched the first one as he answered the charge, hurling her aside. The second flew for his face but was snatched in his jaws. The third drove her lance into Adam's eye, knocking Adam out of his charge as he ripped her away. Then a fourth came, hurling a small bolt of light that exploded in Adam's face, blurring his vision.

"You want a rematch so bad?! Let's settle it!" A flash of red and green appeared in Adam's vision before he felt something blunt smash into his face. The homonculus was knocked off of his feet as he was driven into the ground. He felt the earth give beneath him, splitting open and swallowing him into soft soil. Adam kicked wildly, his thick toe claws snagging her sleeve and pulling her arm away, allowing him to eat the doll trapped in his mouth. It tasted like the hide of the fire-spitter, no meat on it.

As Meiling stumbled, Adam grabbed her by her whipping hair, yanking her down and sinking his shearing jaws into her neck. She screamed, but to her credit she still fought with all of her might, striking Adam in the gut several times as his thick dental plates sheared through her skin. The homonculus held firm, his jaws extending forward as he tried shearing his quarry.

Meiling struck the beast in the throat, causing it to gag and yank its head away, taking a chunk of her neck with him. The chinawoman dropped to a knee, struggling to breathe. "B-bastard! She gasped, her voice cracking as she placed a hand over the wound. She could feel some of the air she inhaled seeping through her fingers.

Adam vomit out the remains of one of Alice's dolls, hacking violently. More dolls came, equipped with -what the beast identified as- spider silk. They flew around him in a flurry, and he could feel the threads tightening around his body. The beast snarled as he swung his powerful claws through the air, cleaving several dolls. However, with every casualty, another took her place, and the web eventually tied the beast down, effectively immobilizing him.

The earth twisted and buckled, the nearby brick wall falling apart as Adam struggled. He felt a pair of hands on his head, a familiar voice with a familiar chant. The demon screamed, thrashing his head about as his claws dug at the arms of whoever was behind him. "Let go!"

"You're my son!" the voice shouted back, their grip firm. "I will have you back!"

Adam hissed, snapping his head back and colliding it with another. The hands released him, and Adam resumed his struggle, trying to escape the silk.

"Marisa! Now!"

The homonculus blinked, darting his head about. A girl in black and white landed in front of him, carrying a crackling box in her arms. She held the light up to him, a wounded look on her face. "I tried," she said pathetically. "Love Sign: Master Spark!"

Everything went white, and Adam was swallowed in an immense pain. He could feel his skin burning off, he felt like his whole body was melting down. This was far worse than the fire-spitter, it was enough to drive him insane. The beast held up his arms, trying to block the light from his eyes as he felt himself being pushed. He hunkered down, and the push weakened. Slowly he was able to advance, getting closer and closer to the source.

Marisa gasped in awe as her attack was violently split down the middle, her concentration shattered. The beam dissipated, her reactor sizzling loudly and smoking from its maw. From the smoke and ember came Adam, his flesh partially melted, his exposed bones glowing like metal fresh from the forge.

Adam panted, feeling his body finally start to cool, the fire inside starting to flicker out. He gasped for air, dropping to a knee.

"Hey Gustave!"

Groaning loudly, Adam rose and turned. A portion of his skin slid off of his bone, but his body started to crackle loudly, red sparks flying from the holes in his flesh. There stood the bat-thing, holding a sparking lance. Adam hunkered down, readying his claws.

"I'm not losing such a cute butler," Remilia said tartly. "I want Adam back, not whoever you are."

Adam lurched to advance, and he felt something pierce his leg. He jumped aside, and another sharp something drove into his neck. The beast gargled loudly, feeling the offending item. Another biped tool, a knife of some kind.

Then his chest exploded, crimson lightning erupting from his chest like a fountain. The beast swung his arms about. Every time he moved another one of those little knives drove into his seared flesh. His armor was so weak, his body wasn't given enough time to right itself.

Another set of hands found their way to his skull, this time thick and leathery. He could hear the sizzling, he could tell these were not the same hands as the other blonde, and they did not chant.

"I knew you'd come around!" Remilia shouted.

Battle had been joined by Patchouli, who had equipped herself with leather gloves just for this moment. "I'm sorry I did a shoddy job! I'll make sure I lock it all away properly this time!" Adam's eyes rolled into the back of his head, and his body went limp. He collapsed, falling to the ground without any fuss. The ground sizzled with little fanfare as the girls gave Adam some space, letting his body cool and his flesh start regenerating.

A few crows cawed loudly, gathering in a nearby tree and one the wall surrounding the mansion. The smell of burning flesh must have attracted them.

"What was that?" Sakuya asked, finally taking the time to make her presence known. "Who is Gustave?"

"He _was_ going to be my new pet."

All present searched for the new voice, and in the gap in the brick wall left by Adam's rampage was a woman everyone in Gensokyo knew by name, although only a select few had the pleasure of laying eyes on such a perfect example of femininity. Her opulent white dress flowed in the nonexistent wind, her golden mane shimmered in the morning light, and her feral yellow eyes spoke volumes of mischief.

"Yukari..." Marisa drawled. "What do you want?"

Several crows circled around the woman, who smiled a knowing smile as she always did. She daintily held out a hand, letting a crow land on it. "Just offering clarification," she responded. "A little birdie told me that you kidnapped my Gustave and made him an Adam," she brought the crow under her parasol and kissed its head. The bird cawed and flew off, and Yukari's freed hand floated to her parasol. "I must congratulate you all, though, he turned out very handsome."

"Why were you so interested in him?" Patchouli asked, conjuring her quill and notepad.

"Oh is this an interview now? I'm hardly dressed appropriately." Yukari responded, giving her parasol a twirl. "If you must know. Of course I'd be interested, I brought him here. A girl like you should know that our local fauna is strictly from Japan. How could a Nile crocodile find its way to Gensokyo naturally?"

Patchouli hurriedly jot this all down, in the meantime Marisa spoke up again. "So why are you here? Don't you have naps to catch up on?"

"I wanted to meet the collective of thieves that took my darling Gustave," Yukari answered, folding her parasol. "I made this lake up for him long before you lot dropped this mansion in the middle. By the time he disappeared on me I was going to invite him to join me at my home, but it looks like you beat me to it." The youkai gave Adam a good once-over. "If only Ran woke me sooner, I might have stopped this. Such a shame."

"Is she mad?" Alice whispered to Marisa. "It's hard to tell."

"Oh I'm very mad," Yukari smiled, her parasol folding back out. "I'm also too late." Her parasol found its place on her shoulder once more, and the youkai gave it a quick twirl. "Spilled milk and all that. I can't take what's no longer mine."

Nobody could really muster any sort of retort, and this seemed to please Yukari more than anything, who decided to continue.

"Gustave was invited here under the pretense of peace, I expect him to have it," Yukari said, strolling toward the group. Everyone took a step back, but quickly realized she was not stopping. The youkai drifted past Remilia, "I hope you don't mind if I invite myself in, I could use some of that lovely dark beverage you make here."

"Caffé?" Remilia asked.

"Yes, _caff__é_. Such a lovely name for a drink, don't you think?" Yukari asked, stopping by Adam to give him a nudge. "Wake up, darling. I'd like to meet Adam this time." The homonculus stirred dizzily, but couldn't manage getting up. Meiling hurried over to give him a hand, getting the clumsy creature to his feet. Patchouli stood by his side, trying to get a read on his mental state while Meiling carried him inside.

Sakuya looked to Remilia, who was positively bristling in irritation. "My lady, you don't look like you want her here."

"_I don't,_" Remilia retorted tartly. "But you don't say 'no' to Yukari." The vampire stomped toward the door, followed closely by Sakuya.

This left Marisa and Alice, who exchanged worried glances. "Next thing you know we'll find out he was actually a dragon the whole time," Marisa deadpanned. "I don't really think him being here is a good thing."

"I don't think Yukari being here is good either," Alice said, starting toward the door. "Why does she insist on staying if she admits she has no reason to?"

"I think we're about to find out," Marisa answered grimly.

* * *

_I'm not going to translate Alice and Adam's conversation because I think you can still understand their words through their actions. I'm really proud of it, honestly. Up to now I've been scared of using Romanian, but I couldn't help using it to show how close the two of them were._

_And why's Yukari strolling around like she owns the place? Because she kind of does._

* * *

_*Really quick because Mister Lebon14 pointed this out. I'm using the italian pronunciation of coffee, which is spelt caffé. I used italian because if I remember right they're the ones who introduced coffee to the rest of Europe. If I'm wrong with that assumption feel free to correct me._


	14. A Chance Meeting

_Things are about to get interesting._

_And I don't mean haphazard post-editing._

* * *

Yukari's visit at the Scarlet Mansion was going well. As far as unannounced visits went. Everyone who was still awake was gathered in the ruined dining hall once more, trying to figure out why Yukari had elected to invite herself in. Alice was sitting on the floor with Adam, reading him tales from Arthurian legend while he rested his head in her lap, drowning in old memories. Marisa was with them, leaning against Adam's back, fiddling with her micro reactor while she listened in.

Patchouli and Meiling had retired for the day, having endured far too much excitement -and a gaping neck wound- for one day. Remilia and Sakuya, meanwhile, were trying to accommodate Yukari whilst prodding her for information.

"I do appreciate this," Yukari said, taking a sip of her drink. "Moving forward things are going to be difficult, I don't have the luxury of sleeping in."

"So I take it this is less about Adam and more about something else?" Sakuya asked as she poured Yukari more coffee.

"I was just killing two birds with one stone," Yukari answered, taking another generous sip. She huffed in amusement, seeing the awkward faces on everyone. "This isn't the first time I've had a companion taken from me, don't look so awkward about it."

"What do you mean?" Remilia prodded, eager to hear more.

Yukari's eyes narrowed. "That, Remilia Scarlet, is personal." The Scarlet Devil shrunk away, letting Yukari return to her drink. "Sakuya, a bit more latte please." The head maid made her way over, a pitcher of milk in hand. Yukari held out her drink, letting the maid add some to her coffee. "All you need to know is that someone is here who shouldn't be, and if they get out I am going to get into a lot of trouble."

"With who?" Sakuya asked.

Yukari glowered, a forlorn sigh escaping her lips. "If this person can get into contact with their master, the devil will be at my door."

"Are your servants looking into this?" Sakuya asked, standing by Yukari's side.

"Yes, but they don't know who to look for._ I_ don't know who to look for." Yukari felt her lip curling into a snarl, but managed to suppress it. "I don't like not knowing." She rose from her seat, soundlessly making her way over to Alice and co. The way her long dress moved with her, it almost looked like she was gliding over the floor. Yukari gave Adam a once-over, her brow furrowed. "Do you mind, Alice?" the youkai asked. "I would like to speak with him."

Alice gave Yukari a look, but nodded. She gently muttered something to him, making the homonculus stir. Marisa shifted, letting Adam slowly rise to a upright sitting position. He blinked, it looked like he was on the verge of nodding off. "Yukari wants to talk," Alice told him.

Adam looked at Yukari with lidded eyes, "buh," he said dumbly, slowly rising to his feet. He wobbled a bit as he erected himself, but stayed relatively stable. Somehow the black hulk managed to even surpass Yukari's impressive stature, but just barely. "Hello," he said, waving his hand shyly. "You... seem familiar."

Yukari quirked a brow, "I wonder... what do you remember, Adam? What makes me familiar?"

Marisa and Alice exchanged worried glances. They wanted to jump in before Yukari teased out Adam's suppressed memories, but you don't exactly stop Yukari when she wants something.

Adam's brow furrowed, he reached up and scratched his shoulder a few times, and from the sound of things he was grinding his teeth together. He stared at Yukari contemplatively, giving her a few once-overs as he tried to remember something.

Yukari couldn't suppress a smirk when she saw his eyes wander. She knew better than to think his gaze was hormone-driven, but she just had to indulge the urge. "Eyes up, mister," she teased, reaching up and giving Adam's cheek a pat.

The homonculus blinked, hunching a bit. "I thought examining your attire would help remind me," he confessed. "I did not know that was improper."

The youkai resisted the urge to snicker in front of him, instead giving him a playful smile. "Oh you are thick, aren't you?" she asked him, which made the homonculus cock his head to the side. This teased out a giggle from Yukari, in spite of her best efforts. "It's like talking to a big puppy. A shame you're not red, I would have had the cutest nickname for you."

Adam was visibly flustered, in spite of not exactly knowing what the woman was talking about. He shuffled, hand resting on the back of his neck as he averted his gaze.

Of course, this only tickled Yukari more. "It's not what I had in mind when I brought you to Gensokyo, but I suppose being an imposing cutie beats being a confrontational brute." The hulk craned his head back, his brow furrowed once more as he looked at Yukari. The youkai's smile grew a tad wicked, knowing that she had struck one of the suppressed chords. "Tell me, Adam. How has your stay with miss Scarlet been?"

"It has been nice," Adam answered, bouncing in his stance. "Sakuya is very gentle and kind, I like being around her the most."

"Is that so?" Yukari asked, giving Sakuya a mischievous look. "I can imagine why you'd be so taken with her."

The maid visibly flushed, averting her eyes, wishing she could go over and smack Adam before he said anything else embarrassing. Remilia looked rather jealous, shooting a quick glare at Sakuya. Which Yukari immediately picked up on.

"And Remilia?" the youkai asked, returning her attention to the homonculus.

Adam ceased bouncing, earning a curious look from Alice and Marisa. Remilia looked like she was about to soak up some praise, but then Adam started talking. "She is strange," he shyly admit. "She likes to wear this tiny see-through dress-"

"Wait!" Remilia shouted, flying over and covering Adam's mouth. "There are some things you shouldn't talk about!" the vampire scolded.

"Oh don't be such a prude, Remilia," Yukari said, separating her from the homonculus with her parasol, looking like she could break out in laughter any second. "Do you like being here, Adam?"

Adam frowned deeply, looking at Alice and Marisa. Yukari quirked a brow as she watched the three of them exchange looks. "I remember being with mama and Marisa. I miss them," he said, returning his gaze to Yukari. "I miss napping with mama, I miss reading, I miss playing with Shanghai." He glanced at Sakuya and the fuming Remilia. "This new home... I do not think it is as good, but I do like being here. I like being around Sakuya, and sometimes mistress Remilia is fun too."

Yukari hummed thoughtfully. "And Flandre?"

In the background Remilia just about pulled a Patchouli and choked on her own spit. She moved to get in the way again, but Sakuya stopped her. The vampire shrugged her hand away, floating over to Yukari. "Yukari, Flandre's been... in a mood lately."

"A mood?" the youkai asked, giving Remilia a curious look. "He's been here for a few months, hasn't he? Surely she would have gotten over it by now."

"It's complex," Remilia said.

"Explain it to me," Yukari retorted.

"Not enough time," the vampire answered.

"I have all day," the youkai snipped back. "Unless there's more you don't want to tell me." She smirked when Remilia bristled, "unless of course it's not me you're worried about, rather..." she looked at Adam pointedly.

"Miss Yukari," Sakuya said. "I think the three of us need to discuss this in private."

Yukari smirked wickedly. "And what's wrong with Adam knowing about Flandre? I mean, it's not like he was made for her, right?"

Adam watched the exchange continue, his brow furrowed. Less from confusion, more out of irritation. "No one will tell me," he said softly. His voice managed to carry though, garnering everyone's attention. "It is frustrating. I do not care who Flandre is anymore, miss Yukari."

Yukari gave Adam a bemused look. "You're not curious at all?"

Adam's teeth started to peak out from his mouth. "I have been frustrated out of my curiosity."

"Fair enough," the youkai responded, turning back to Remilia. She leaned down to her level, her face stern. "He'll find out," she said flatly before rising. "Time to go!" she chirped jarringly, folding out her parasol. "Do take care, girls. I'll be back on occasion for more caffeine." She made her way over to Adam for one last thing. "Do let me know if you get into trouble, I'll always be listening." She blew the homonculus a kiss as a gap opened behind her. "Ta-ta~!"

And with that, she stepped through the gap and closed it behind her. Everyone let out a sigh of relief, especially Remilia.

"I would like a task, mistress," Adam said, his voice stern. "I find myself in a... mood."

The Scarlet Devil made a mental note of the especially bitter delivery. "Sakuya?" she asked.

The maid stepped over, handing Adam a clipboard. "There's a cart in the utility closet, here's a checklist of rooms that still need cleaning, and a map in case you get lost again." The homonculus nodded, his expression softening just for a moment before stomping out of the dining hall.

"How long do you expect to hold this charade?" Alice asked, rising to her feet. "Yukari's right, he'll find out eventually."

"I'll come up with something," Remilia retorted flippantly.

"I don't think lying to him is a good idea, it's going to make him more upset," Marisa warned.

The vampire flapped her wings once, resisting the urge to clench her teeth. "When I want an opinion I'll ask for it. Don't you two have things to do?"

"Sakuya, send Adam our regards. Tell him I'll come again soon," Alice said. She looked at Marisa, who was about as bitter as she was. "Come on, I've had a long day and it's not even half over yet," Alice moved to leave, and Marisa followed, casting one last look at Remilia before shaking her head.

Remilia growled bitterly as soon as they were out of ear shot. "I'm getting sick of all these opinions. Keep an eye on Adam, Sakuya. I got a few lies I need to make."

"My lady, are you sure-"

"Don't question me again, Sakuya!" Remilia snapped. "Go keep an eye on that freak and leave me to my thoughts!"

Sakuya blinked, taken aback. She quickly recomposed, and bowed with a resigned sigh. "At once, mistress."

**=][=**

He couldn't understand, at this rate he'd never understand. Why would nobody talk to him about it? He just wanted to know who Flandre was, she was the reason he was here to begin with. Why was it so hard to answer one question?

Adam shook his head, trying to dismiss his frustrations and continue making up the bed. He lost count of how many, he just knew it was a lot. He'd been up and about for what seemed like forever, whenever he tried looking out a window it got progressively darker. He wished he had someone to talk to.

As he fluffed the pillows, the neat covers shifted and creased. Adam growled, trying to smooth out the creases, but they only reappeared shortly thereafter. There was a brief tug of war, the crease growing bigger every time, until it turned into a large lump on the bed. The beast snapped and yanked the covers off, revealing something he found familiar. The lavender ball and string, the green and yellow dress, that minty mane of hair. "Knock please," Adam grunted.

The girl gave him a playful smile, her emerald eyes shimmering as she animated. "Miss me?"

Adam stared at the girl, who frustrated him like everyone else was frustrating him right now. Vague answers and riddles, things that made his head hurt. With a tired sigh he pulled the covers over her and turned away.

"He-y!" the girl cried, throwing the covers back off. "Why the long face? I thought you liked talking!"

"You will not answer the one question I want answered," Adam retorted. "Why can I not know your name?"

"Didn't your mommy tell you not to pry?" she retorted slyly.

"Mama taught me many things, so did Patchy, and Sakuya. It is rude to not tell a friend your name," Adam retorted. "Are we not friends then?"

"Of course we are!" the girl whined, folding her arms and putting on her best pout. "Why do you want to know my name so bad?"

"So I know what to call you," Adam answered, finally returning and taking a seat on the edge of the bed.

"You got so big," the girl mused, crawling up behind Adam and wrapping her arms around his torso. "If I give you my name, can you promise not to tell anyone?"

"That's two questions," Adam said, his stern lips twitching as he rested a hand over hers. "However, I can do that."

"You broke the rules just now," she said with a giggle. "You answered anyway, you lose your extra question."

Adam grumbled, shifting as she leaned harder against him. "What is your name?"

"My name," the girl said sweetly, leaning over and pressing her cheek against his, "is Komeiji Koishi."

Adam felt a wave of satisfaction wash over him, one of his greater frustrations finally defeated. Yet, in spite of all that, this raised another question. He opened his mouth, but realized it wasn't his turn.

"Hey Adam," Koishi chimed, giving the homonculus a squeeze. "I saw you talking to miss Yukari. You really like miss Sakuya, don't you?"

"Of course I like her, she is kind to me," Adam answered.

"I mean you like _like_ her," Koishi teased.

"I do not understand," Adam grumbled, "what is the difference?"

"Well I like you," Koishi said. "I like hugging you and talking to you, but when you like _like_ someone," Koishi's cheek left his, "you tend to want to do something like this~." Without warning she dove in and planted a big kiss on Adam's cheek.

It took a moment for the homonculus to realize what the girl just did, and the moment she pulled away his head snapped around to look at her. "What are you doing?"

"Kissing you, silly!" Koishi giggled, "doesn't your mommy kiss you?"

"Sh-she feels my forehead with her lips sometimes," he answered dumbly, rubbing his offended cheek. "Is that what it is called?"

"Well duh!" Koishi answered, kissing his cheek again just to get another shocked reaction from Adam, which he readily offered. He blinked, dumbfounded, rubbing his cheek like it had just been slapped. "So do you think you'd like miss Sakuya to kiss you?"

Adam didn't spend long thinking about the question. "I am not sure. This is still strange to me. I do not completely understand." His brow was deeply furrowed, and he was visibly straining to wrap his head around the concept of how "like like" was different from "like" or maternal affection. "A kiss is something you give to someone you like... _like_?" the homonculus asked.

Koishi shrugged at him. "Not always," she said, "like your mom kisses you, but that's because she's your mom. But if _Sakuya_ were to kiss you, she might like _like_ you."

Adam nodded slowly, still feeling rather uncertain. "Ask."

"Do you like _like_ anyone?" Koishi asked.

"That is a difficult question," Adam admit. "I do not think I can answer that yet." He stared off into the wild yonder of a wall, trying to think of a query. "You kissed me. Twice, actually. Do you like... _like_ me?"

Koishi looked dreadfully amused over how he kept forgetting the second "like". However, her sly grin denoted something else, "that would be tell-ing!" she answered cheekily, poking Adam's chest. "So you think you can stop rubbing your cheek? People will look at you funny."

Adam blinked, snapping his hand away. "S-sorry-" he sputtered as Koishi kissed him again. He was tricked!

"You're so cute when you get a kiss!" the girl giggled. "I bet the older girls would just eat you up if they saw big Adam being so shy."

"I am not-!" Adam turned to face Koishi, but the space where she once sat was empty, only a mound of ruffled bedsheets remained. The homonculus snarled lowly, shifting off of the bed. "I am not shy," he grumbled bitterly. "I do not need to like like someone, and I certainly don't want Sakuya to kiss me." He had to stop and shake his head, for the moment he said that doubt struck him. "I don't," he grumbled in reaffirmation.

With a tired sigh he decided to leave this room before he dwelled on all of Koishi's nonsense for too long. He moved to shove open the door, but the moment he grabbed the knob it opened for him. He blinked, peering through the opening to see who was on the other side.

There was Sakuya, looking a little disheveled. She coughed when she made eye contact, trying to compose herself. "H-hello Adam."

"Hello Sakuya," the homonculus greeted, his irritation fading.

"Was everything alright in there?" she asked. "I heard you talking about something."

Adam furrowed his brow, trying to get a read on the woman. "You look uncomfortable," he noted frankly.

"I am," Sakuya answered, shuffling her feet. "Look, I heard some of the things you said in there. It's kind of surprising, I never would have guessed that you held me in such regard." She coughed again.

"Are you ill, Sakuya?" Adam asked, blissfully unaware. "If you are not feeling well I can take you to a bed and inform the mistress."

"That's not it," Sakuya said before clearing her throat. "I like you Adam, but not in that way. Let's not ruin a friendship with thoughts of more."

Adam scratched his cheek, at a loss. "Okay?"

The maid sighed in relief. "You know, I thought you'd be more upset. I'm glad you're so understanding."

"I am?"

"Let's just pretend this never happened," Sakuya said, finally managing to find her footing. "I'll see you when you're done."

Adam nodded, watching the maid take her leave while helplessly confused. What was she talking about?

**=][=**

Adam was sure it was pretty late, he couldn't even see out of the random windows he could find. However, after going down a flight of stairs and leaving the cart behind, there were no more windows. Without those, Adam had a hard time navigating. He forgot to grab Sakuya's map, and now he couldn't even find his way back.

The homonculus wandered the stone corridors, trying to see if there were any landmarks he could recognize. There were doors, but they all led to small, empty rooms. It didn't stop him from checking, but Adam had to wonder what exactly this part of the mansion was used for. Storage?

Who needed a bunch of chains for storage?

Adam was convinced he would be wandering forever, alone, with no hope of ever reaching anyone ever again. It was a silent terror that loomed over him, that pressed down on his shoulders like a great weight. It didn't stress him as much as he thought it would, in fact he seemed rather okay with it. He just hoped he could find somewhere comfy to rest before he resumed his search for the exit.

Eventually, Adam came on what amounted to a relatively normal looking door. That same extravagant and well-polished red wood with golden embroidery that the parts of the mansion Adam was familiar with had for their doors. A pang of hope struck him, maybe this was a way out?

With nothing to lose Adam pushed open the door, and he was greeted by a blast of bright colors. Adam squinted, trying to make sense of all the shades and reds, the deep blues and the flashes of green hither and thither. As he stepped full into the bedroom, Adam had to stop, as his feet were swallowed by some soft furry substance. He glanced down, spying some strange magenta moss growing around his toes and swallowing them. He hummed, curious, as he scanned more of the floor. Haphazardly scattered drawings and dolls littered the floor with no sense of organization, and a few smatterings of old blood could be spotted on the strange floor covering.

Adam finally made out what looked like an opulent bed amidst the sea of extravagant colors, he blinked, trying to peer through the veil that draped over and hid the contents from view. It was very reminiscent of Remilia's bed, but where the mistress' was frilly and white with soft patterns, this bed was a bright, bloody red, with sharp, golden trim outlining the sheets.

Adam had to wonder who lived in here. Maybe it was just Remilia's spare room when she got bored of being up stairs, or it was for important guests. He remembered making drawings like this when he was with mama, maybe it was another... little person?

"Who are you?"

Adam blinked, cocking his head as a little blonde head emerged from between the curtains of the bed. The girl mimed the gesture, slowly crawling off of her bed and making her way over to Adam.

Adam had to double-take at those strange branches growing from her back. Many shimmering gems were attached to them, and they seemed to sing when they clicked together. It almost sounded like a lullaby, which made Adam yawn.

Meanwhile the girl looked dumbstruck, as she had never seen something like him before. He reminded her of a gargoyle, finally shedding its stone skin and coming to life. She remembered loving those, always drawing the ones she spotted looming from the cathedrals in Europe. "Where's Sakuya?" she asked, "she usually brings dinner by now."

"I do not know," Adam answered dumbly, remaining where he stood as she drew closer.

"What's your business here then?" the girl asked, slowly strolling around him to better examine her intruder. "You don't look like the other servants."

"I have never been here before," the homonculus answered, turning to better face her when she threatened to stroll out of view.

The girl nodded, stopping her appraisal. "So you're not here to give me dinner. You'd best run along then."

Adam fumbled with his hands nervously. "I can't..." he answered shamefully. "I got lost."

The girl scoffed. "Leave it to Remi to lose her servants like this. I don't know what mommy saw in her." The girl glowered a bit, clearly mulling something over. "I can, uh... um... I could take you back up," she said weakly, almost wishing she hadn't said it.

Adam seemed to cheer up at the news. "I would be most appreciative."

The girl reached out, and Adam gladly took her hand. She blinked at him, her cheeks brightening subtly as her wings chimed with glee. "O-okay, let's get you back."

She couldn't believe it, he just took her hand. Just like that! He didn't flinch, he didn't run, he didn't even say anything. He trusted her, he didn't look at her like she was some psycho like everyone else, he looked at her and he saw her as a girl. Nothing else. Just a normal girl.

She couldn't express how happy that made her.

Meanwhile, just outside of the room, the pair had an audience. Watching from the shadows was Sakuya, who was currently chewing on her lip in apprehension on what she should do. She could warn Remilia now, stop Adam from getting himself into more trouble. Yet that look on Flandre's face, that small smile creeping onto her small lips, it was the first time Sakuya had seen her smile since...

The maid couldn't just take that. With no real options, Sakuya retreated, if only to brace herself for the coming days. Things were about to get even more interesting than they already were.

* * *

_And there you have it. As short as it is, this chapter is loaded with a few things._

_Remilia's buyer's remorse, Yukari and the future, and -of course- the moment I've spent the last few chapters leading up to. Adam and Flandre meeting for the first time._

_Stay tuned for the next chapter,_ 'Flandre Scarlet'.


	15. Struggles of Want

_So as it turns out, this chapter is not about Flandre._

_I'm not making promises anymore._

* * *

"Here, the library's just through that door," the gem-winged girl said, gesturing to an opulent set of double doors.

Adam nodded once, easily recognizing the halls of the Scarlet Mansion now that he tread familiar ground. "Thank you..." he paused, brow furrowing. "Forgive me, I do not know your name."

The girl offered a plaintive smile. "I think that's for the best," she responded, head turning aside. "You shouldn't know me, you have other people to worry about."

The homonculus cocked his head to the side, ever curious. "Why?"

There was a contemplative silence. "Tell you what, come find me again after some time passes, we can talk again," she said, turning back to face Adam, her face carrying a look that Adam remembered Yukari wearing all the time.

He blinked, looking at the ground. "I will try," he said, uncertain if he could find his way through the lower levels again.

"That's all I ask." With a chime of her wings the girl lifted off, floating into the darkness and leaving Adam behind. She couldn't contain herself, if her chat with the black thing told her anything, he'd come back to learn more. And once Remilia found out he was making trips to the basement...

Oh the songs of rage she'd sing!

Flandre Scarlet giggled at the prospect, "I knew I'd find a way to get you back. You took my dolly, I'll take _yours_!"

Adam waved as he watched the giggling girl disappear in the endless halls, old memories stirring. She reminded him of someone...

_Hey Adam? I really like you..._

Adam smacked his head, a familiar pain striking him. Old thoughts and memories stirred, and just for a moment he saw a familiar blonde girl. Smaller, more demure, but she struck Adam as similar. What was her name?

Adam felt something on his lips, and opened his mouth, "Rumia." He hummed, saying the name once more for good measure. Was that her? Was that Rumia? Adam shook his head, stowing the thoughts for now. He'd find out in the future, once "some time" passed.

With that put on hold, Adam gingerly pushed open the library doors. They groaned, heralding his entrance, however the halls were silent. No telltale scribbling and flipping pages to denote Patchouli's presence. Undeterred, he strode inside, his leathery pads making his footsteps nigh silent.

The black beast sniffed the air, trying to get Patchouli's scent as he continued through the large shelves. Eventually he came upon a familiar desk, covered in tomes and other such things. He gave it a few sniffs, when he caught a particularly sweet scent. He immediately thought of Patchouli, and started following the trail. The smell was starting to flow everywhere, but he managed to follow the most fresh trail.

Adam found a rumble emerging from his throat as he followed the increasingly sweet trail. It was pungent, palpable, heady even. He found himself licking his chops as he neared one particular shelf. The trail ascended from here. Adam let out a hiss - primitive and aggressive, announcing himself to whoever was above. There was no response, so he dug his claws into the wooden shelves and started to climb. Patchouli was long forgotten, even Rumia, all that was on his mind was this deliciously addictive scent he had caught a whiff of. So, like a bee drawn to a flower, he reached the summit of the bookshelf.

He heard a melodious humming, a chime that -in his drunken stupor- Adam found equally sweet on his ears as this scent was on his nose. With another sniff of the air, he saw the trail continued to ascend. Adam looked up, and a familiar sight graced his hazy eyes. He remembered that chandelier, he knocked it down when Koa-

There she was. That vibrant red hair, that lovely dress-

Adam shook his head, smacking himself. He felt wrong, something outside was making his thoughts hazy.

"A-Adam? What are you doing in here?" Of all things to happen, Adam coming to the library _now _of all times was the last thing Koakuma needed. She hadn't even taken her suppressants yet.

The homonculus' head snapped up, compelled by that voice that became more lovely with each syllable. He let out a shaky breath, his sense of composure shattering the moment he opened his mouth. "Koa..." he growled, his voice cracking audibly.

"Oh no," the redheaded devil gasped, slowly drifting away. "Adam, I need you to go get Patchouli," she said, trying to put on a stern face. "I need her help."

The black beast only licked his chops, advancing the same distance that Koakuma retreated.

"O-or it might be too late for that. Um... I'd really hate for it to go down like this," the girl said, floating behind the chandelier. "I'll blast you if you get closer!" She cringed when she realized how pathetic that threat sounded when her voice cracked out of fear.

Adam hurled forward, and with one kick bounded into the air. Koakuma shrieked in horror, _throwing_ a spell-card at Adam. It exploded in his face, forcing him off course and into the chandelier Koakuma had just repaired and hung. The crystalline decoration swung forward as Adam caught himself on the chain, and at the nadir of its swing, he tried attacking again. This time Koakuma actually held onto her card, which glowed and shot a single pellet. Koakuma screamed in outrage as that lone pellet smacked harmlessly against Adam's hide, but it distracted him just enough for her to dodge his bulk.

The black beast sailed right into a nearby bookshelf, which teetered from the collision as the homonculus scurried up to the top like a spider.

Meanwhile Koakuma pulled her blouse and searched it, "oh where's that card Patchouli loaned me... here!" The card glowed, and conjured a bubble of water. As Adam kicked himself off of the falling bookshelf and sailed through the air, the bubble rolled forward and unceremoniously swallowed him whole. The beast blinked, darting his head about as he groped aimlessly at the water, curious as the bubble came to a halt over the bookshelves as they played dominoes. "O-okay stay there while I get Patchouli!" Koakuma flapped her wings and descended. "Just going to leave you up there until someone pops that bubble," she said as soon as Adam was out of earshot.

He must have heard, because the bubble popped and the homonculus fell. He descended upon Koakuma and expertly snatched her from the air. The two went tumbling down, crashing into the mass of shattered wood and scattered books that covered the library floors. Koakuma squirmed and kicked, throwing punches at the homonculus that embraced her tightly. "Let go of me you brute!"

Adam snarled, grabbing her wrists and pinning them behind her back. For good measure he snapped at her, his sharp teeth mere millimeters from grazing the devil's soft skin. She let out a pathetic yelp, her resistance immediately crumbling when she finally realized the position she was in.

"I-I'm really rusty," she whined as Adam inspected her face, sniffing her intently. She gasped when he grazed his muzzle against her throat, the sight surely looked intimate. She reeled, raising her head and exposing more of her throat to the homonculus. Which seemed to only send him the message he wanted, as he grew more and more amorous with her.

Adam meanwhile saw her exposing her neck as a sign of submission, and instinct deemed that she was receptive to him. The homonculus pressed flush against Koakuma and let out a low rumble, his chest and throat softly thrumming against her body.

Koakuma let out a whine she really wished she didn't let out, but she felt herself overwhelmed. Without her suppressants, the wickedness that Patchouli stripped her of so long ago reared its head, ready and willing. Her last shreds of resistance lashed out one last time, stuffing the lump in her throat back down as she mustered some words. "A-are you really set on me? Wouldn't you rather do this with someone you like?"

Adam paused, struck hard by a moment of clarity. Someone he liked? His mind immediately went to Sakuya. He liked her. As he dwelled more and more on the subject, however, the haze started returning. He inhaled deeply, overwhelmed by that intoxicating aroma, and the homonculus found himself right back to where he started: smothering Koakuma in what could only be described as affection.

Koakuma felt many things, but she found herself wanting, and that terrified her. Adam shifted, and she very much of her own accord rolled onto her chest. She heard the homonculus' heady breaths hitch, and then he ran his thick claws through her hair.

Jackpot.

The beast leaned down and smothered himself in her scarlet locks, savoring her scent. The devil giggled as his muzzle grazed her neck again, making her hair stand on end. "W-wait..." she gasped, her senses returning, if only for a moment. "I can't do this, I can't give in to..." she trailed off when Adam cupped her chin, gingerly leading her to his face. "I can't..." She sucked in a terse breath, parting her lips as Adam-

"Koakuma!"

The devil squeaked, her senses aptly returning. "P-Patchouli?!" Adam let out an annoyed hiss as Koakuma's head whipped out of his grip, and he decided to nuzzle the crook of her neck instead.

"You mind explaining what I'm looking at?" the pale magician snapped, floating over. "Because from the way he's mounted you I'd say you've been skipping out on your suppressants again!"

"He hasn't set foot in the library in weeks, I thought I could cut back!" Koakuma whined, squirming underneath the homonculus with renewed vigor. It was in this moment that Koakuma realized just how compromised she actually was. Adam, looming over her, and she was pressing herself firmly against him like some common harlot.

"Adam! Off!" Patchouli commanded, snapping her fingers.

Much to her dismay, Adam totally ignored her, his only response a loud snort.

"Don't snort at me, mister! Get off of my familiar, now!" Patchouli spat, conjuring a crystal lance.

The homonculus punched the floor, putting a generous hole in the wooden boards. Koakuma let out a shriek, as his strike just narrowly missed her head. He let out another sort, rising to his feet.

"I can tell you're not yourself," Patchouli said. "Let me help clear your head before you make me regret my part in making you more than I already do." For the briefest moment, Patchouli thought she was making progress, but when Adam refused to actually get off of Koakuma, her optimism faded. He stayed where he was, looming possessively over her. Patchouli's lance floated into the air, starting to crackle loudly. "You asked for it."

The pale magician jumped when a hand found its way to her shoulder. "Let me talk to him," the newcomer said, striding past Patchouli.

"Sakuya, I really don't think-"

The maid waved her hand dismissively. "Just watch, he'll listen." She got a warning hiss from Adam when she strayed too close, but Sakuya remained steadfast. "I'm giving you one warning, mister. Do that again and see what happens." She stepped forward, and Adam hissed again. Summarily, a dagger was suddenly in his throat. The homonculus gagged, groping the offending weapon lodged in his jugular. Sakuya advanced as Adam ripped out the dagger and tossed it aside, finally stepping off Koakuma and meeting the maid halfway.

"Sakuya," Patchouli said warily.

"Koakuma, go with Patchouli," Sakuya said, unflinching as Adam bared his wicked maw. "I've got this under control."

Giving the homonculus a wide berth, Koakuma managed to regroup with Patchouli without Adam's noticing. She was immediately smacked upside the head by her master the moment she joined her side.

"I can't believe you!" Patchouli whispered harshly. "That was the weakest excuse for your irresponsibility yet! What were you going to do when we go to dinner in a half-"

"I still take them for dinner!" the redheaded devil whined petulantly, which earned another smack.

"What did I tell you about interrupting me?!" Patchouli snapped.

As the two of them bickered, Sakuya had Adam's undivided attention. Every time he tried to hiss, or snarl, the same dagger would find its way back into his throat. However, he had yet to lash out at her, which Sakuya very much used to her advantage. The first thing she did was slap him across the face, which felt like slapping a brick wall.

Adam snatched her wrist, his mouth wide and ready to strike. His teeth were barely from her throat, and Sakuya would be scolding herself if she wasn't bewildered by Adam's actions. She wouldn't be as surprised if he tried following through with mauling her, she would have just stopped time. Yet, he didn't, he froze just before Sakuya could turn the tables and show him how big of a mistake he was about to make.

Adam panted madly, pulling away and flexing his bottom jaw. Sakuya caught the briefest glimpse of those black slits again before they were consumed in that sea of milky yellow, and the maid realized what Koakuma's carelessness had nearly wrought.

"Come with me you troublemaker," Patchouli snarled, dragging the whining Koakuma off by her ear.

Adam moved to follow, but Sakuya stopped him, cupping his cheeks and forcing him to look at her. "You're staying here," she told him flatly.

Adam cast a glance back to Koakuma's retreating form, but found his eyes returning to Sakuya, visibly frustrated. He was promptly slapped again, this time Sakuya let out a hiss, holding her reddened palm in an effort to smother the pain. The moment the pain in her hand started to numb, she looked at Adam. He cupped his cheek, looking quite bewildered. He rubbed it, letting out a confused grunt.

"I can't believe you!" Sakuya snapped, sounding genuinely hurt. "I taught you better than that! Yet here you are acting like a brute, just about ready to take advantage of poor Koakuma! And that's not even getting into what you were just about to try doing to me!"

Adam glowered, his shoulders slumping a bit, words finally getting through to him in the wake of his drunken haze. "Sakuya..." he croaked pathetically, sounding appropriately neutered.

"Maybe I was wrong about you," Sakuya said, her voice faltering as she nursed her hand. "Because when you act like _that_, people will start thinking you _are_ a monster! Is that what you want, Adam?!"

Adam exhaled from his mouth, his head turning aside.

Sakuya cupped Adam's cheeks once more, forcing him to look at her. "Answer the question! Are you a monster?!"

Adam's brow furrowed at that. He looked at Sakuya, his eyes narrowed. "I am not a..." he trailed off, the words cutting deeper than he realized. With a snarl as his final retort, Adam wrenched his face away, turning on his heels and retreating into the shadows, melding seamlessly with them. Sakuya couldn't bring herself to go after him, stupefied by his actions. She saw so much of Remilia in him in that instant, and it frustrated her to no end.

"Fine," the maid said bitterly. "Just do what everyone else does around here. Run away and hope it stops bothering you." She tried to stay angry, but she couldn't keep the flame burning. Instead she took a seat, sagging her shoulders as the wave of disappointment hit her proper. "I thought I taught you right..."

=][=

Life in the Scarlet Devil Mansion was many things. It was stressful, it was a joy, it was infinitely frustrating. Tonight just happened to be one of those nights that was so outrageously frustrating that Koakuma wanted to scream. In all fairness, this _was_ a long time coming. That little black science project Alice and Patchouli had running around in the house was bringing with him new stresses on an almost daily basis.

Adam was like a bomb; a little scaly explosive with some very lovely teeth that would give any youkai a run for their money for "most impressive dental work." He even literally went explosive when his bones outgrew him.

Koakuma wasn't there for that, but Patchouli certainly filled her in after _Yukari_ of all people showed up.

Yukari. YAKUMO YUKARI. The first lady of Gensokyo herself came along to say hello, steal some drinks, and -of course- visit Adam. Oh but he wasn't Adam, apparently back when he was that multi-metered beast, they called him _Gustave_.

Why couldn't anyone tell that Adam was way more trouble than he was worth. When you attract Yukari, when you are strong enough to put Meiling through a wall and maul her, when you _cannot die from even the most horrid of wounds_, you're trouble.

Yet, even after all that, Remilia still insisted on keeping him around. Koakuma couldn't fathom what was so great about that overgrown freak, for even after months of learning with Sakuya, that monster lost all restraint over Koakuma's natural scent.

How was she supposed to know it attracted reptiles?

Which brought Koakuma to now. Sitting with Patchouli in the dining hall, waiting for Remilia. Adam was nowhere to be found, likely still getting scolded by Sakuya, or just omitting himself from dinner outright. Koakuma really hoped for the latter, she didn't want to see that face right now.

"Oh, Koakuma," Patchouli said, scribbling on her notepad. "Can you retrieve something for me?"

Koakuma blinked, looking at Patchouli. "Can't you just conjure whatever you need?"

The magician shook her head. "Were it so easy. No they are my prototype anti-magic runes, they do not respond to my summons like my quill and notepad."

"You can make prototype runes? Can't you just copy the ones in your books?" Koakuma asked. "Can't be that hard."

"Marisa will know her way around a copy, no this must be unique and of my own design. Now quit stalling and get my runes," Patchouli retorted sternly.

With a groan Koakuma rose out of her seat. "Fine, fine. This better not make me late for dinner."

"It won't if you shut up and do it already," Patchouli snipped, setting aside her notepad and conjuring a book that she immediately dove into.

Without the resources to make a retort, Koakuma lifted off of the ground and went on her way, lazily drifting out of the dining hall and through the dim corridors of the Scarlet Mansion. She hummed a simple tune, trying to pass the time, as well as take her mind off of everything.

"Koakuma." The devil was stopped by Sakuya, who seemed to just stride out of the shadow like she was made of the stuff.

The redhead blinked, "oh, hey Sakuya. What's up?"

The maid glanced down the hall, toward the library. "Watch out for Adam. He's in a mood."

At this Koakuma couldn't help snorting. "Isn't he always in a mood?"

Sakuya let out an irritated huff. "I don't know why he did that, but I'm devoted to finding out."

"He's grown up, he noticed he's alone in a mansion with loads of girls, and he spends much of his time with either the eternal teasing of Remilia, or the girl he's happy to gush about whenever prompted," Koakuma said, her words earning a small blush from the otherwise stoic looking maid. "Simple answer: he's horny."

"You don't try mauling someone because you're..." Sakuya let out a cough, refusing to use such a crass word, "amorous."

"That's what Remilia did to the last boy she invited here: sucked him dry. Who's to say that they don't maul threats to getting some back wherever the freak came from?" Koakuma asked flippantly.

"Please don't call him a freak," Sakuya responded politely.

At this, Koakuma couldn't help letting out a derisive snort. "He's about to have his way with me and nobody bats an eye at it?!" the devil snapped. "I can't even be mad at him?! What the hell is going on around here?!"

"You have a right to be upset, but Adam wouldn't just attack you. He's too reserved," Sakuya said. "There's a reason for this."

"What, does it bother you that he didn't target you first?" Koakuma retorted, striding past the baffled Sakuya. "I don't give a damn. If you're really so keen to fix whatever you think is wrong with him, you have my blessing. Just keep his creepy claws away from me."

Sakuya made no effort to pursue, or retort while she was still in earshot, so Koakuma saw this as a minor victory. Maybe it would keep the maid off her back later.

After making it to the ruined library, Koakuma found the runes Patchouli spoke of sitting on her usual desk. Thankfully nothing was damaged after all the shelves fell. On the desk were wooden squares, overly complex glyphs carved in each of them. The moment the devil moved to pick them up, they shimmered softly before falling silent the moment she grabbed them.

"Okay these are pretty cool," Koakuma mused, hugging the carvings close as she made for the exit. "First time things have gone without a hitch around-" the devil blinked, scanning the library intently. "No sign of him..." With a sense of urgency, she made a hasty retreat.

However, even after she escaped the library, Koakuma was overcome with a sense of paranoia. The way Sakuya spoke of Adam, it was made out like he was sulking in the library. If his senses were really so keen, wouldn't he have noticed her in there?

Koakuma just counted her blessings, and flew through the halls as fast as her wings could carry her.

Much to her relief, it was quiet the whole way back. Just one door between herself and everyone else. Koakuma let out a breath she had been holding, and pushed open the door to the dining hall.

"Koakuma."

The devil just about screamed. For right on the other side, peering over his shoulder was that brute Adam, looking at her with narrowed eyes. She dropped the runes, absolutely terrified, her tongue stuck in her throat. Before she could even turn and run he was looming over her. Before she could fully unfurl her wings his thick fingers coiled around her throat. Before she could even let out a breath and struggle she was trapped. The homonculus lifted his prey off of the ground, leaning in and inspecting her face as he did before.

"L-let go!" the devil wheezed, swinging her leg back and driving her knee into his gut. He grunted nonchalantly, cocking his head quizzically. He leaned closer and blew hot air in her face, frazzling her red mane before taking a deep whiff. Koakuma shivered, stricken by a sense of deja-vu.

Much to Koakuma's joy, she saw a hand rest on the homonculus' shoulder. "Hey, put her down before we have our rematch early."

Adam gave a small, yet startled snort, blinking and snapping his head away from Koakuma. Behind him stood Meiling, who looked more than ready to make good on her threat. He let out a rumble as his gaze followed the details of her face, down to her jawline and along her neck. There was a sizeable scar on her throat, and the homonculus swallowed a sudden yet generous amount of saliva.

"Drop her. _Now_," Meiling reiterated, squeezing Adam's shoulder.

The black beast winced in discomfort, reluctantly releasing Koakuma. Who scrambled into the dining hall. Meanwhile Adam squared off with Meiling, one waiting for the other to make the first move.

"Go ahead," Meiling said evenly. "It's a great way to get intimate with the floor."

"What's going on here?"

Both parties glanced aside, spotting Remilia and Sakuya just a few meters away. Meiling looked back at Adam, clearly expecting him to answer. He furrowed his brow, both irritated and trying to muster a retort. Eventually, he offered a hapless, "nothing."

The Scarlet Devil strode over, inspecting Adam. She snapped her fingers, and he dropped to a knee. She gestured for him to get closer, and he complied. She leaned over to his ear, a smile on her face. "You're a terrible liar." Adam grunted and sparks burst from his back, coalescing into a solid lance. Remilia twisted the weapon in the homonculus' gut, leaning back from his ear. "I expect a proper answer after dinner," she said, releasing the spear and letting it dissipate into nothing. "Tell Sakuya what's wrong if you have to, just make sure_ I_ get the truth."

Adam ground his teeth, letting out a groan as the wound healed, but nodded. Remilia and Meiling made for the dining hall, leaving the beast to his devices. This left him alone with Sakuya, who was still looking decidedly cross.

Sakuya waited for Adam to get to his feet before speaking up. "Why are you acting like this?" she prodded, folding her arms.

Adam furrowed his brow. "Her scent," he answered frankly, "it makes everything hazy."

"If being around Koakuma is going to cause this much trouble, I don't want you around her," Sakuya said. Adam glanced aside, but Sakuya stepped forward, earning his attention again. "Adam, please. I don't want you getting into trouble with the mistress, and I don't like this side of you."

Adam's gaze fell to the floor, as it often did when he was in thought. "Can we walk?" he asked, gesturing down the hall. "Talk, think, maybe understand."

Sakuya was somewhat taken aback by his suggestion. He'd been acting so irrational, that such a simple request was somewhat surprising to her. "That's actually a very good idea," she said, "where shall we walk?"

Adam blinked, looking a tad lost, but he quickly found his bearings. He snatched Sakuya's hand and lead her off, earning a surprised gasp from the maid. As it turns out, he was still a little irrational.

* * *

_This chapter is thanks to many talks with my friend, and aside from the ongoing theory of Koakuma's nature, I thought that it would be a good idea to give Adam another problem to sort out before he gets too comfy with his life._

_I mean his body just exploded last chapter, but the pond was settling, I had to throw a stone in it. So yay! More growing pains!_


	16. Two Chats and an Overdue Revelation

_Dokturprofesur returns with another chapter!_

_Yaaay!_

* * *

Adam was quiet the whole walk, but he gradually grew less tense. What was once a terrible hunch had relaxed into a straightened back. His drunken gaze became more sober, and his hard features relaxed as he and Sakuya strolled silently through the dim halls of the Scarlet Devil Mansion, the only sources of light being the bright moonlight shining through the windows, and the flickering violet candles that dotted the walls.

The homonculus slowed in his stride, peering out the window. He squinted as the moonlight hit his eyes, letting out a grumble.

"Are you ready to talk?" Sakuya asked, slowing her originally brisk pace to match Adam's.

Adam nodded shallowly, finally stopping at the next window, peering out of it. "Where do I start?"

"You mentioned Koakuma's scent," Sakuya said, "as good an icebreaker as any."

Adam closed his eyes for a spell. "Her scent," he said ponderously. "I remember looking for Patchouli, I thought I caught her scent-"

"You can track us? Like a hound?" Sakuya leaned against the wall, watching Adam with a quirked brow. At least now she knew who kept smudging the windows all the time.

Adam opened his eyes, his gaze cast low. "If I need to," he said. "I smelled something sweet, feminine. I assumed it was her. I went through the shelves, smelling this... scent." He reached up and felt his nostrils, which let out a small puff. "It felt funny—numbing."

"You never mentioned you had such a good nose," Sakuya gave Adam's nostrils a quick glance. "No wonder you could find me anywhere."

"Dust and soap, nobody else smells like you," Adam mumbled, his thin lips curling upward. He immediately shifted, hiding his smile behind his bicep.

"Are you saying I smell?" Sakuya teased, a smile forming on her face as she folded her arms. "You sure know how to flatter a woman."

"You smell different," Adam tried to clarify, for a moment thinking she was serious. He glanced to her, just to be safe. One look at her face dashed any concern.

Sakuya suppressed the urge to giggle when she saw that concerned look in Adam's eye, and the ensuing sense of realization in them. "You worry too much."

Adam glanced back at the window, letting out a soft hum.

Sakuya's mirth died down in a moment, and she remembered why they were out here. "So Koakuma," she paused when Adam's brow visibly furrowed, but quickly found her tongue again. "Her scent was intoxicating?" Adam regarded the maid quizzically, spurring her to elaborate. "It dulls your senses?"

Adam returned to the window, peering at the outside world. "That is what I said."

"Right..." Sakuya said, somewhat defeated. "So why were you trying to," she made a groping motion at the air. "You know. Grab her?"

Adam shifted, moving his hand in front of Sakuya's and miming the gesture. He looked a little lost, but it did not take long for him to connect the dots. "Oh. I do not know, her scent did many things. I wanted to be near her, I wanted to smell her more," he stopped groping the air, moving his hand in front of his face, brow furrowed in contemplation as he stared at his palm. "I just wanted to touch her, feel her..." he trailed off, making several exasperated motions.

"I-I think I understand," Sakuya said, letting out a small cough. It really pained her to admit it, but Koakuma seemed to be right, to an extent. Adam's whole problem stemmed from the last source Sakuya wanted to deal with. "Adam, did Alice ever talk to you about women?"

The homonculus' head slowly tilted to the side, his confused gaze steadily becoming blank. "Was she supposed to?" he asked rather dumbly. He was suddenly rather anxious, clearly thinking it was required knowledge. "Would you be able to teach me about women?"

Sakuya thought many things. She knew his request was entirely innocent, she knew that he said it in a panic, she knew that she had no reason to get so flustered. However, to the casual listener it really sounded like he was making a proposition, a very clumsy, very loud proposition.

To say Sakuya was red in the face was a bit of an understatement, she turned all shades of scarlet as she threw her hand over Adam's stupid mouth, effectively silencing him before he said anything else. He was very much startled, squirming in her grip as she pinned him against the window he loomed in front of. "Next time warn me before you say something so stupid!" Sakuya scolded. "Do you have any idea- of course you don't, you wouldn't have asked if you had any notion of what you just asked."

Adam regarded the maid quizzically, asking a question that was sadly muffled by Sakuya's palm.

Sakuya genuinely wondered if he forgot her hand was over his mouth. She glanced over each shoulder, thankfully spotting nobody at either end of the hall. She let out a sigh of relief, freeing Adam, for the moment. "Look," she said, rubbing her temples. "I'm not sure if I should be the one telling you this."

Adam nodded slowly, his gaze drifting back out the window as he pondered. He was still clearly confused, but did not pursue looking into Sakuya's response to his request. "I could ask Patchouli... or Remilia maybe."

Oh like hell he's asking Remilia! "I-I was thinking you should be having this discussion with Alice," Sakuya suggested, playing with her hands anxiously.

Adam dipped his head, looking rather downtrodden. "I do not know when she will visit again," he said, spotting Meiling's form through the hole he put in the brick wall. "What about her?" he asked, tapping the glass with his claw a few times. "Maybe China could help."

Sakuya let out a sigh, he wasn't going to stop until he got the information. "Look, I'll tell you, just stay away from Koakuma, alright?"

Adam visibly brightened, stepping away from the window. Oh dear, she could see him hopping a little. Why did he have to get so excited?

Sakuya shrunk under his expectant gaze, unblinking, his yellow eyes brimming with curiosity. "Stop looking so happy, I'm not telling you right now." She offered her hand to the homonculus, which he took without a second thought. "Come on, I need to get you measured again."

Adam was suddenly not too keen to follow. He hated those suits Remilia had him wear, they itched really bad. However, Sakuya's insistent tug on his arm sealed his fate.

=][=

Meanwhile back in the dining hall, Remilia Scarlet decided it was prudent to get some context. "So while our little monster is having his date with Sakuya, you want to tell me why he's suddenly acting like a brute again?" Her first target was Patchouli, who always had an answer, even if it wasn't the right one.

"Koakuma," Patchouli answered flatly. She smacked the devil on the back of the head with her book, which sent Koakuma's face into her dinner. "You brought this about, you answer."

The devil let out a pathetic whine before slowly lifting her head up. Her face was coated in generous helpings of stuffing and smashed potatoes. Not mashed, smashed. The food-encumbered girl looked at Remilia, "I skipped out on my meds and it got his attention."

Meiling snorted, a bit of milk shooting out her nose. She turned and ducked under the table, giggling loudly all the while.

The Scarlet Devil looked equally amused, but did not permit herself more than a smirk. She clasped her hands and rested her chin on them, waiting for Koakuma to finish wiping her face. "That's criminally vague, Koakuma. I didn't know you took medicinals." She made no effort to hide the intensity of her interest.

"They're suppressants," Koakuma corrected, licking some bits of potato from the corner of her mouth. Finished with her face, she started wiping her hands. "I -and those like me- have certain... attributes," she began, preferring to stay vague. "As it turns out, Adam shares a weakness for scents that his dear mother has-" Koakuma's voice was drowned out by the sound of her face colliding with the table.

Patchouli silently returned to her seat and opened her dented book back up, the very obvious crease in her brow betraying her frustration. Meiling covered her face with her hands, trying to suppress any more laughter. The Scarlet Devil let out a small giggle this time, infinitely amused by the show the pair were putting on. However, Remilia had to cut to the heart before the charade lost its novelty. "Patchouli, I thought we accepted your relation," the vampire teased. "Care to finish her sentence?"

"Adam caught her scent, which dulls the senses and makes the imbiber more susceptible to their impulses, or if Koakuma desired, suggestions," Patchouli explained, her voice flat and disinterested. She peeked over her book at the runes that sat plainly on the dinner table. "However, Adam's heightened sense of smell pushed him past a cognitive threshold and..." she trailed off with a shrug. "Simply put he tried courting her."

The room temperature dropped about four degrees, the violet candles throughout the hall flickering violently for a spell. Patchouli cast a glance at Remilia, who was surrounded in a rather sinister aura. The pale magician mentally sighed, returning to her book. Must she put on such a show over something so petty? "Lady Remilia, you really mustn't let yourself be vexed by this." Patchouli gave Koakuma a quick once-over, she didn't look like she was going to move any time soon-she must have been struck too hard. "Adam succumbed to his instincts, I wouldn't deign to call this a threat to your desires to keep him for yourself."

The Scarlet Devil snorted, her black aura dispersing in an instant. "Vexed? Hardly, I just find it irritating that Adam seems to be slowly strolling backwards. So much progress and he's so casually reversing it."

Patchouli suppressed the urge to snort, setting aside her book and clasping her hands together. "Remilia, I have known you for a long time," the magician said, her once drolling tone turning more serious. "You have acted this way before, especially when you fear losing something you deem valuable. If Adam is a poor liar, you are woefully transparent."

"He belongs to me!" Remilia shot out of her seat, slamming her hands on the table. "He's my property, he's my butler, the only reason he exists is because I willed it! I should be his god and he's busy trying to get fresh with Koakuma!"

Patchouli allowed herself the luxury of a good chuckle, shaking her head at the vampire. "Oh Remi, if you're so concerned about his cavorting with my familiar, perhaps you shouldn't let him roam unsupervised? After all, if he's shadowed by say, Sakuya, I do think he'd have a hard time getting into trouble."

The Scarlet Devil folded her arms with a huff, falling back into her seat. "Sure, then I can secure a future of millions of little immortal maids and butlers."

"Just a suggestion. Other than that, just make sure he's too busy to bother Koakuma," Patchouli shrugged once more. "It shouldn't be too hard, he drops whatever he's doing when you give him a shout."

Remilia's face relaxed, and she let out a soft sigh. "You're right-"

"As usual."

"You were wrong about him exploding on us," the vampire snipped.

Patchouli waved her hand flippantly, "that was impossible to predict, Adam wasn't supposed to grow beyond a mindless toddler."

Remilia rolled her eyes, "oh fine, we'll strike that mistake from the record. Right as usual, Patchouli."

The magician's thin lips pulled into a smirk. "Of course."

At that moment, Sakuya strolled into the dining hall with Adam in tow, her countenance even and serene. Adam, by contrast, was looking a tad grumpy. He paused as they strode past the unconscious Koakuma, but an annoyed growl from the maid was enough to bring him back to his senses. The maid brought her charge before Remilia, who was waiting expectantly. With a grumble, Adam dropped to a knee.

"Welcome back, mister troublemaker," Remilia said rather warmly, although her face betrayed both curiosity and irritation. "Anything you would like to say to me?"

Adam blinked a few times, clearly mustering together his response. "I... her scent was overpowering, I had never-"

"I gathered that much," the vampire responded. "I'm more interested in what you'll do about that."

At this the homonculus craned his head up, looking genuinely surprised. It quickly faded, replaced by resignation. "All there is to do is avoid her," he said. "I shall return to my duties, at your side."

Remilia rewarded Adam with a winning smile. "Don't let it happen again, or we'll see how that lovely body of yours does without a heart."

The Scarlet Devil caught something on Adam's face, a brief flash, a twitch of the brow, a pulse in his neck. She saw his large fingertips twitch, and his breath linger for a tad too long. Oh it was a sight to behold, and Remilia knew exactly what to make of it. He expertly reined himself in, but the slip was noted by the vampire's keen eyes. Either he panicked for a sliver of a moment, or he just got really mad.

The Homonculus bowed, planting both his fists on the floor to deepen the gesture. "It will not, Lady Scarlet," he said in a humble tone. "I shall not disappoint you again."

This time, Remilia spotted the tightening of his fists. Any tighter and they might have drawn blood, and the vampire couldn't help an instinctive lick of the lips. She was always curious what he tasted like; if the drink running through his veins was fine wine or -heaven forbid- vodka. She shook her head, dismissing the thoughts for now. "Now I was arguing with myself over what to get you for dinner." Remilia motioned for Adam to rise, which he did. "As curious as I am, I would prefer you not getting any bigger, so long pork is most definitely out of the question."

"I... do not need to eat," he grumbled bitterly. The vampire let his tone slide, he loved long pork.

"We can find something else, we could try fish," Remilia offered. "The koi in the lake are pretty delicious when you salt them good."

Adam's head rolled to the side, his gaze on the dinner table. He stared at the empty plates, imagining a dead fish sitting on them, waiting for him. He only nodded his head, "I will try."

=][=

Compared to the last few days, dinner was actually a peaceful affair for once, even with the massive gaping wall in the dining hall inviting a terrible draft. It was a refreshing change from the weeks of madness Adam had wrought, and for the first time in a while, everyone could eat without Adam eating everyone's share of food.

Remilia foresaw Adam's poor table manners, and had a platter laying in the corner of the room, which the fairy maids stocked with a generous helping of fish. Patchouli made some cheeky references to some giant monster story, but the bottom line was the Scarlet Devil's efforts were successful and then some.

The biggest plus was that Remilia was treated to the funniest sight she'd seen in a long time. Every time Adam polished off his platter, he would promptly shout for the maids and give them an earful for more food, giving the vampire an intense giggle-fit. However, after she choked one too many times, Sakuya had to go over and scold Adam, which was an even greater treat.

All in all, a peaceful night.

One by one, everyone retired for the night until there were three remaining. Adam, Sakuya, and Remilia.

"Say, Sakuya," the vampire said as she hopped out of her seat. "Why don't you turn in? I think Adam can handle me on his own tonight."

Sakuya looked at Adam with concerned eyes, but nodded. "Thank you, mistress. I will see you in the morning then?"

The vampire nodded, giving her wings a flap and lifting off of the ground. "Of course," she motioned for the black hulk looming in the background to follow. "Come along, Adam."

With a tired grunt, the homonculus followed, striding past Sakuya in but a few steps. He peered over his shoulder at her, his brow furrowed deeply—thoughtful, like he had something to say. However, with a shake of the head it was gone, and he simply strode out with Remilia.

Sakuya clasped her hands and prayed, "please mistress, don't run around naked in front of him again."

As mistress and slave strode through the darkened halls, one by one the candles lining the walls flickered out. Remilia hummed what sounded like a lullaby of sorts, for it kept making Adam nod off, awakening only when he started to lose balance in his steps. The beast grunted, smacking his face a few times to keep regain his senses.

"Do you hate it here, Adam?"

The homonculus blinked, peering ahead to Remilia, whose lovely humming had ceased. "Tell the truth this time, if you please."

Adam quirked a brow, his retort ready. His lips parted, followed by his teeth, but nary a sound passed them, his words stuck in his throat. His brows folded together, and his pace faltered a tad. "Why?"

"You don't seem to like taking orders," Remilia observed.

Adam glanced aside, sucking in a breath and bracing himself for the worst. "I do not."

"You were just a toddler, and yet Alice has left quite the mark on you," the vampire observed.

Adam could feel her words prodding at him, testing his nerves, and his patience. What was there to gain from this? "I do miss her, I miss playing with Shanghai, I miss resting in mama's lap as she read stories to me, I miss-..." Adam trailed off, "that does not matter anymore. My place is here, under you."

"Being here isn't all bad, young man," Remilia said as they came upon a flight of stairs. She lifted off of the ground with a flap of her wings, ascending with minimal effort as Adam climbed the tedious steps. "Your mother will still come from time to time, and you have permission to terrorize the maids so long as I can watch."

Adam opened his mouth, but again was at a loss for words. There was this itching in the back of his head that second-guessed every possible answer he had, forcing him to pause and think.

Remilia landed at the crest of the staircase, locking eyes with Adam. "Your resignation speaks volumes, but that's not the real problem, is it?" the vampire asked. The talons on her wings reached up and hooked onto her shoulders, giving the girl an almost regal appearance. "Your problem's with me."

Adam stopped, his gaze turning to a leer. He hunched on instinct, feeling a confrontation coming his way.

The vampire snapped her fingers. "That right there, is what I'm talking about. You could be a little more grateful to the one who willed your birth in the first place."

"I did not want this," Adam retorted without missing a beat.

"Then tell me what you want, Adam," Remilia retorted.

"I want to do what I want," Adam advanced a step, now eye-level with the girl. "From my earliest memory, I had some kind of destiny. I was lead by the nose, and I wound up here. I was never given the chance to do anything else." He glanced aside, to a rather large window, staring right into the glowing moon. "I want to see what lies beyond these windows, I want to see everything." He advanced again, now looming over the vampire. "This is your home, not mine," he said bitterly. "It will never be my home."

The two leered at each other expectantly, but nothing came of it. After what felt like an eternity, Remilia broke the building ice. "And?"

Adam flexed his claws. "And?" he asked, his ire fading. "And nothing. I am not free to do as I will, I am powerless to leave this saccharine prison. I can only make the most of it." He motioned for Remilia to lead on. "If there is nothing else?"

It was Remilia's turn to quirk a brow, "That's it?"

Adam gave her a single nod. "That is it."

"Were you always so spineless?!" Remilia snapped. "I watched you put my gatekeeper through a wall, summarily maul her, and take a master spark to the face and keep going! I confront you about your attitude and you can't even give me a proper discourse on the subject?!" The vampire daintily hopped up and slapped the homonculus across the face as hard as she could.

A small crackling filled the air, and suddenly Adam's neck felt marginally less tight.

"You feel trapped here? Fine, do something about it! Don't make the most of it, don't bitterly try and suck it up! Tell me!" Remilia backhanded the beast with the same hand, earning another resounding pop from the Adam's neck. "You belong to me! You're my responsibility! It's my job to take care of you just as much as the inverse is true!"

Adam rubbed his neck, which was starting to ache from all the sudden motions. He hunched, this time a show of submission instead of aggressive posturing.

"You're mine, Adam!" Remilia stamped her foot angrily as her tantrum went into full-swing. "Why can't you get that?! Why can't you start acting like it already! Your fate belongs to me!"

As the vampire went on, Adam just watched her, listening. She... Remilia didn't seem to be talking to him anymore, even though she was screaming about what she wanted him to be. Adam scratched his cheek, clearly confused as to why she was suddenly so charged. She was fine until they had the least offensive piece of this conversation, it was rather frustrating.

Remilia had finally finished her rant, and she looked rather worse for wear. Adam couldn't fathom why, but apparently shouting made you very tired. The vampire plopped down, looking absolutely pitiful. "I can't even get a reaction out of you," she said bitterly. "I guess it should be expected..." she moved to pick herself up, when a hand rested over hers. She looked up, locking eyes with the homonculus.

"You look tired," Adam intoned. "Sakuya said I am to carry you if you are tired."

"I say all that and your first thought is to carry me?" Remilia asked, staring at Adam's hand like it was foreign. "Talk about whiplash."

"I realize this is jarring. My patience has been thin and my restraint weak, getting in the way of my performance," Adam said, his eyes going to the floor. "Everything has been difficult for me lately, I keep changing, and things that once did not effect me now do. However, I still have a duty, as much as I'd rather not. I am your butler, and I will fulfill expectations to the best of my ability." Adam kept his hand extended, waiting for Remilia to take it. "We have both said things about the other, I believe we are 'even'."

Remilia made an annoyed sound, folding her arms and putting on a pout. "Just pick me up, idiot."

Adam blinked, rather taken aback. He had to re-work his strategy, which took him a quick spell. He shifted down to a knee and scooped the vampire into his arms in one fluid motion, holding her against his scaled chest like a bride. The Scarlet Devil flushed, sucking in a deep breath so she didn't make any improper squeaks.

The final stretch to Remilia's chambers was silent, even with his newfound stature, Adam still had a habit of moving as silent as the shadows he melded with so well. The two exchanged looks on the way though, Adam was clearly trying to get a read on her current disposition. The vampire was still pouting, and he had to wonder if he did anything else.

The door was quite the challenge, first Adam tried opening with his mouth, but his teeth wouldn't grab on. Then he considered just kicking down the door, but Remilia was keen to warn him against that. Finally, Adam found a novel solution, he lifted his foot and -with some effort- opened the door with his toes.

He never once considered putting Remilia down.

"Hey Adam," Remilia shattered the silence, looking up at the homonculus. "I..." she grumbled, "I appreciate your work-ethic."

Adam's response was simple. "Thank you." He made his way over to Remilia's bed and set her down on in. The homonculus was looking almost proud of himself, he probably thought he was doing pretty well so far.

Remilia couldn't resist ruining it for him. "You forgot to get my bedtime attire." She took off her hat and tossed it to the wayside, and started undoing her ascot. "Well? Go get my nightgown."

Adam looked over his shoulder, staring at the armoire pensively. He really didn't want to get that thing out. "Do I have to?"

The Scarlet Devil giggled as she freed her ascot from her neck, "of course you do you big, scaly fool. Now help me get into something more comfortable."

Adam grimaced. Even when life was kind of okay -but not really-, life was cruel. Adam minced his way over to Remilia's armoire. The moment he opened it, he stared at fear itself. There was that tiny nightgown that Adam was certain was transparent. It boggled his tiny mind how anyone would bother wearing this thing, you might as well just run around naked. The homonculus gingerly took the nightgown off of the hangar and sucked in a deep breath as he turned around, and promptly lost it when a bare Remilia was there to greet him.

The Scarlet Devil smirked confidently, running her fingers through her hair. "I know I'm a beautiful, captivating, and all-around exquisite creature, but it is quite cold tonight," she teased, "do hurry along, dear Adam."

She was even putting on a mature voice.

Adam really wished Sakuya was around to do this for him, thankfully the nightgown slipped right on, he just needed to tie a few strings...

Adam realized he had no idea how to tie a knot.

He remembered Sakuya showing him how, but he got distracted by a moth and missed it, he just told her he understood. "Lady Remilia, I have a small problem." The vampire hummed, spurring Adam to continue. "I... I do not actually know how to tie a knot."

Remilia tried to hold it in, she really did. Alas, Adam was so... Adam about everything that he always found some lame way to bring out her laughter. This was just one of those times where she started giggling uncontrollably, falling backward as she tried to catch her breath.

Adam watched the little vampire's head roll around in his lap as she got out all her laughter, feeling his cheeks burning. It was a new sensation for him, he had to reach up and make sure there wasn't anything on them that was heating them up.

With a quick cough, Remilia managed to stuff her mirth. She snuggled into Adam's lap, staring up at the big oaf as he sorted out his feelings. "You know Adam, you are very charming when you want to be."

The homonculus blinked, his creased brow relaxing as he cocked his head at the Scarlet Devil. "Excuse me?"

Remilia offered a small smile. "You keep finding ways to make me laugh," she said as she played with her hair, coiling it around a finger. "I don't look the part, but I've been around for a long time, I've seen plenty in my time. However, I've never met a man like you. You're very different, I like that."

Adam blinked, his head rolling and cocking the other direction. He was rather taken aback, it was different than what he was used to hearing from Remilia. He mulled over how he should respond, eventually deciding to meet the young mistress halfway. "This is... enjoyable in a way." It wasn't much but it was the best he could come up with. Up until now, Adam really never thought of anything he liked about Remilia.

"Now if only we could fix a few things about you," Remilia said, scrutinizing Adam's face. "A shame Alice never fixed your face, and if you could get over Koakuma... oh that would be bad, there is such a thing as too charming. Just fix your issue with her then."

Adam let out a sigh, lifting his head and staring out the window. He really feel like responding to that. So instead, the two sat in silence for a time, just enjoying the quiet.

"I think I finally get it."

Adam looked back down at Remilia, his head tilting to the side once more.

"What was it, ten minutes ago?" Remilia asked. "I seem to distinctly remember us having an argument." She laughed, although much more restrained this time. "You make it easy to forget about, you just act like it didn't happen."

Adam blinked. "It is the past," he said flatly. "I try not to allow it to effect me."

"Admirable, but there's something else. Your tone, the way your carry yourself afterwards, if I didn't know better I'd say you were trying to make me forget." Remilia glanced aside, "credit where credit is due, you can cheer me up pretty fast."

"At the very least, I have accomplished something of merit today."

"Indeed," Remilia responded, closing her eyes. "Now if only you could tie a knot."

In time, maybe he'd get the courage to ask Sakuya to show him again, but for now, Adam was silent. He simply watched her, waiting patiently until he knew for certain the girl was asleep. One hour, two hours, three hours, and he waited, scanning Remilia's face intently. He cocked his head, leaning closer. "Remilia," he said softly. She did not respond, she didn't stir, her breathing didn't change. Satisfied with this, Adam retreated, lifting her head and slipping away.

The homonculus pulled down the covers and picked up Remilia one more time, placing her on her pillow and pulling the covers over her. He wished she could be like this all the time, it was much better than the yelling, demanding brat she was when she was awake.

Adam let out a sigh, taking his place not at the foot of the bed, but in a nearby armchair. He slumped into it, drumming his claws on the armrests as he reflected on the day. Too much was going on for him, a break would be nice. The trials of life were starting to get to him, but maybe, just maybe -but probably not- things would finally settle down.

Of course, as per the norm, Adam suddenly remembered someone. Time had certainly passed, maybe now was a good time, when everyone was asleep. He could get in a quick sneaking visit, and finally learn the name of that girl.

He was still certain it was Rumia, but now it was time to put that to the test.

Adam rose out of his seat, rolling his shoulders and earning a generous popping for his trouble. Slowly he made his way for the door, listening carefully for Remilia. Thankfully he forgot to close the door, so he could sneak out without incident. He made sure to close it though, he needed to make things seem normal.

With a somewhat satisfying click, the door to Remilia's room was shut. Adam turned on his heel, moving at a much more brisk pace.

It was time to return to the basement.

=][=

Adam was actually surprised he still knew the way through the Scarlet Mansion's dark catacombs. If the upper floors were a maze, the stone corridors down below were a dank abyss with no end in sight. Thankfully, he thought, the end wasn't what needed to be found.

Eventually, Adam came upon that unusually normal looking door. There was still light coming from under it; she was still awake. The homonculus steeled himself, feeling rather anxious. He reached out and knocked curtly.

Adam wasn't sure how long he was going to wait, but he didn't expect the door to immediately open. He blinked, locking eye with a little blonde girl. He heard a distinct, high chime, and the girl pulled the door open all the way. Adam breathed a sigh of relief when he saw her attire. No see-through nightgowns, instead, the girl wore a simple white dress. It was... it was just so nice.

"Adam!" the girl chirped happily, snatching his hand and dragging him into her frilly overload of a room. Her wings curled upward in an outward crescent, each of the little gems dangling from them offering a unique and pleasant chime. "I'm so happy you came down!"

Adam couldn't help a small smile. Between the song that her wings were playing, and the very honest joy she was expressing, it set a very happy atmosphere. "I did not expect such a warm welcome," the black hulk spoke honestly as he scratched his neck. "You have me at a disadvantage, however, I still do not know your name. I would still like to thank you properly."

He'd be very happy if it turned out to be Rumia.

"Oh right, right. I promised myself I'd tell you my name if you came back." She closed the door behind Adam with one of her wings, and released his hand. She took a couple steps back, and did a quick flourish before him. "You can call me Flandre Scarlet!"

* * *

_Now some of you might wonder why Flandre and Adam didn't really talk when they met the first time. Simply put, the younger Scarlet has a reason that will soon be divulged._

_NEXT TIME!_

_..._

_I'm a dick, I know._


	17. (Un)Welcome Feelings

Alright everyone, some things have been said, but let's be honest with each other from now on.

I was the one who ran over that mailbox.

* * *

"Flandre... Scarlet?" Adam sucked in a breath, feeling a lump form in his throat. "You're Flandre?" Suddenly he couldn't keep composed, his anxiety plain on his face. He told himself he didn't care, he _thought_ he didn't care, but now he was face to face with the person he owed this existence to.

The girl offered a big grin, showing off her teeth, "you bet! Flandre Scarlet, I'm Remi's little sister!"

Adam's hand snapped to his chest, his breathing becoming ragged as his mind was overloaded with all manner of question, as well as memories of every mention of the girl, the quick walk they had through the mansion.

If it wasn't for her, Alice wouldn't be his mama. If it wasn't for her he wouldn't have met Marisa. If it wasn't for her he'd have never come to know miss Sakuya.

"I..." Adam exhaled, trying to rein himself in. "I owe you everything."

Flandre couldn't help a playful giggle, cupping her rosy cheeks, "oh don't say that, you're making me blush!"

Adam stepped forward, his expression most serious. "But it is true! Without you I would not have met my family!" He spoke passionately, taking Flandre's words at face value. "If there is anyone I should thank for my being, you are the one!"

The younger Scarlet's laughter only grew louder. "Alright, I'll accept your thanks then!" she said with a chime equal to those coming from her wings.

Adam couldn't keep a small smile from forming on his face. This was a chance he never thought he would get, where to start. "Can I... ask you some things?"

Flandre placed a finger on her chin, tilting her head thoughtfully. "I dunno..." she said, her lips twitching. "What do I get out of it?"

The homonculus furrowed his brow and glanced at the floor. What a question, he didn't have anything to offer her that carried worth. He had his old suit, although to be fair Sakuya probably disposed of that shredded thing by now.

Thankfully, Flandre found a solution, her lips giving in to the smile she was trying to hide. "I want a dance. Ever since Patchouli told me about you it's all I've wanted. Do that and I'll answer anything you ask me."

Adam found himself suffering from a familiar pang of embarrassment. "The last time I danced was with mama, but I will try."

Flandre clapped her hands, "Yaay! Okay, ask me anything!" She bounced happily where she stood, a sight that was familiar to Adam.

The obsidian hulk already knew his first question. "Why did you not tell me your name when we first met?"

Flandre's bouncing immediately ceased, her face falling. "It's..." she sighed, "look I couldn't risk Remi finding out about me just yet. I knew that once you knew you'd be asking around and I'd never see you again!" She clutched his arm, emphasizing her words. "I just met you, I couldn't just let my stupid sister take this away from me!"

Adam nodded, "that... makes sense. I think."

"It does when you're me!" Flandre said, her lips curling into a snarl. "I waited so patiently, and then she just takes you away from me! She can't let me be happy unless I kiss the ground she walks on!"

This time Adam understood. "I am sorry. If I knew-"

"Oh it's not your fault!" Flandre cried, shaking his arm. "How were you supposed to know? I bet she never even told you!"

Adam frowned. He knew, he just... "She did not."

"See? My sister's a lying bitch!"

Adam blinked, "I uh..." he trailed off, trying to find the right words. "I am not allowed to use such colorful language." He scratched his neck as he glanced aside. "In reference to anything, actually."

"It's not bad if it's true!" Flandre countered. "I bet she's said loads of bad things about me!"

Adam's head rolled to the side. That line of thought wasn't necessarily wrong.

"Okay mister, you owe me a long overdue dance!" The blonde vampire snatched the stunned homonculus' hands and lead him to a clear spot in her room. "Wait right here, I need to put on some music! Patchouli just got me some new records for my player!"

"Record? What's a player?"

Flandre waved her hand over her shoulder, "hush hush! I'll be just a moment~!" She flipped a switch on some box thing with a bronze... thingy. She did some stuff with the things, and suddenly this strange sound blared from the device, scaring the soul out of Adam.

_ HEY EVERYBODY DID THE NEWS GET AROUND_

_ ABOUT A GUY NAMED BUTCHER PETE_

As the cacophonous terror pounded Adam's eardrums, Flandre ran over and made a leap for him, arms outstretched. Adam barely managed to react and catch the giggling girl, spinning on his heel as she clung to him tightly. Adam spun a few more times before he managed to stop himself, stumbling about dizzily as Flandre cheered him on.

"Spin me more!" the girl demanded. At a loss, the dizzy homonculus tried complying, spinning on his heel once more. Flandre squealed happily as she was spun about, almost losing her grip on Adam. Her arms managed to loop around his neck, trying to keep herself from getting thrown off. "Don't drop me, we need to dance more!"

Adam tried his best, stumbling around the room as he tried to regain his balance. Everything was spinning so fast still, he could feel the bile forming in his throat. He hoped he didn't get sick, Flandre looked so happy, he'd hate to ruin it now.

_ HE'S HACKIN' AND WHACKIN' AND SMACKIN'_

_ HE'S HACKIN' AND WHACKIN' AND SMACKIN'_

The sound was grating on Adam's ears, and he tried to move away from the howling contraption, then he stepped on something hard. He immediately jerked his foot away, losing his balance and unceremoniously toppling over, with the giggling Flandre in tow.

Adam wasn't sure how long he was in his daze. A few seconds? A few minutes? He felt surprisingly warm, especially around his face. He blinked a few times, trying to regain his senses. He could feel Flandre's hands on his cheeks, that must have been why he felt so warm. He moved to sit up, and the small vampire let out a muffled whine. She wrapped her arms around his neck once more, keeping her face on his. He was starting to get worried, but then something struck him: even with the unfortunate absence of her hands, he still felt really warm. Wait, he remembered this sensation, he felt the same thing when Koishi kissed him.

Flandre was kissing him.

He wasn't entirely sure what to do. Koishi had kissed him before, but not on his mouth like Flandre was, and it felt a lot... warmer than when Koishi kissed him. Did she like _like_ him? No, Koishi said that a kiss didn't necessarily...

Flandre opened her eyes, and her face turned red. She immediately jumped off of him, waving her hands. "I-I didn't mean to do that! I'm sorry!"

Adam felt his lips, still feeling that warmth on them. "Flandre? Do you like me?"

Oh this wasn't supposed to happen! She's going to say yes and he's going to let her down and she'll cry and he'll-!

The younger Scarlet sucked in a breath. "Y-yeah," she said weakly.

Adam nodded thoughtfully, feeling his lips. "Why?"

"Because... because you kept your word," Flandre said, kneeling in front of him. "Everyone else would promise me things, and then when the time came, they'd have nothing. They'd make excuses, everyone makes excuses. I thought it would be different with Patchouli, when she told me about you, but she struck down that sick little hope in me yet again." The girl sniffled loudly, wiping her eyes. "I had given up, but then you came through my door."

Adam nodded. "That night..."

Flandre dipped her head. "Truth be told, I was going to use you. I was certain my sister had spoiled you into a shadow of what you were supposed to be. Yet here you are, you danced with me, you haven't spurned me, you want to know me," she flushed, "I just... I don't know what came over me. You're a special kind of guy, Adam."

The homonculus frowned, but not an angry frown, one of deep thought. "I told myself I was done asking. Everyone avoided talking about you, it was frustrating." He offered her the smallest of smiles, his facial structure permitted no more without opening his mouth. "I am glad I found you, even if -in my stupidity- it took me time to realize it."

Flandre smiled, inching closer to the homonculus. "Can... can you hold me? I know you have to leave before my stupid sister wakes up. Can you stay with me, until I'm asleep?"

He thought on it, and nodded, offering Flandre a hand. "I will."

The younger Scarlet instead crawled into Adam's lap and snuggled into his chest, letting out a dreamy sigh. "Thank you."

Adam was stricken by memories of Alice's gentle touch as he looked down upon Flandre, and felt compelled to do the same, gently petting her head and rubbing her back, as his mother once did for him. He earned a sweet coo from the girl, who shifted to make herself more comfortable.

Adam felt strange, overwhelmed by an uplifting feeling, like a weight had been lifted off of his shoulders. He felt content.

"Hey Adam?" Flandre mumbled, "you think you can come down again? Soon?"

"Of course," Adam said all too hastily, "as much as I can." He didn't even know how he was going to feasibly get away with this.

=][=

Adam left Flandre tucked into her bed, sleeping with a smile on her face. He felt an overwhelming sense of accomplishment in his talk with Flandre. He made that girl happy, the girl he was made for so long ago.

Put simply, Adam felt whole.

He was equally proud that he could navigate the lower catacombs of the mansion. At this rate, he was certain he could get out before the sun rose and the mistress woke up. He could only guess what Remilia would do if she found out about his trip. She refused to tell him for a reason, and as much as he couldn't fathom why, he could certainly imagine the painful trouble he could find himself in if she found out.

The homonculus brought his fingers to his lips, letting out a soft hum as the warm feeling in them returned. Even if Remilia found out, it might still be worth it.

"_Guess who!_"

Before Adam could even react, a pair of delicate hands covered his eyes. Adam's first reaction was to maul whoever was touching him, but he knew better by now. He recognized the voice.

Adam let out a hum, trying to sound clueless. "Mama?" he asked, trying to hide the urge to smile.

"Nope! Try again!" the girl chirped, failing to suppress her giggles. "If you guess right I'll give you one of those kisses you like so much!"

Adam felt his lips heat up again at the mere mention of such a pleasant thing. He'd like another one of those, please and thank you. "Do you have wings?" he asked dumbly.

"Hehe, nope!"

Adam let out a grumble. "Are you short?"

"I'm not that short!" the girl cried, letting out a cute growl. "Maybe you're just too tall!"

Adam flexed his claws, that observation did sting a little. "Maybe you should grow," he snipped back, his hands slowly rising.

"You're so mean!" the girl behind him pouted.

"You think you can fool me so easily," the homonculus snarled, his hands snapping up the girl's delicate arms and yanking her in front of him. She let out a pathetic yelp, but was giggling like a child the moment they made eye contact. "You are losing your touch, Koishi."

"Shh!" the girl hissed. "Do you have to say my name out loud?!"

Adam blinked at the girl, tilting his head. "Then what should I call you?"

The girl flushed. "K-Koishi's fine, just not so loud."

Adam's head remained in place. "Why?"

"Because there's someone here who knows me, I can't say!"

That piqued his curiosity, but if Adam did anything, it was honor a request. "Very well."

Koishi's smile quickly returned as Adam set her down. "So, you happy you finally got to meet her?"

Adam blinked. If this was the tone for his visits with Flandre, he should just stop now and keep her out of trouble. "How do you know that?"

Koishi stuck out her tongue, "I always know what you're doing!"

"You sound like Miss Yukari..."

"Sure think of it like that!" the minty girl giggled. "Eyes everywhere!"

He wasn't entirely too sure what to think of that. "I liked talking to her, she seems very kind," Adam said. He felt the urge to smile, and found himself looking aside to try to suppress it. "I would like to see her again."

"Boring!" Koishi drolled. "Get to the good stuff! How good of a kisser was she?"

The homonculus felt a little boggled by the sudden change of tone, but tried to keep up. "Uh... her kisses are nice," he said bashfully, scratching his cheek. "Are there kisses that are not nice?"

The girl could barely hold back her laughter as she tried to answer. "W-well it depends on wh-_hahaha_!" she burst out laughing, leaving Adam hopelessly fuming.

"I do not need you to mock me, Koishi," Adam said, his voice flat. "I fail to see how this is so amusing."

"B-but it is!" Koishi retorted, her laughter reduced to giggles. "You're so stoic with me all the time, you even try to hide your smiles from me," the girl pouted. "I wish you'd be more honest with yourself, like you are with Miss Sakuya."

Adam felt his face heating up at her mention, but couldn't place why. He felt like he'd been caught in the chandelier again. "How this is relevant?"

"I just want you to be honest with Flandre!" Koishi finally answered, her eyes narrowing and her face serious. "She's a good girl, and lots of people have lied to her."

Adam felt something in his forehead, it felt like a throbbing—a mute headache. "I have no reason to lie to her."

"I'm not saying you do, just please be good to her."

He felt his head tilting aside, rolling on his shoulder. "Why do you care so much...?" he blinked. "She is the one."

Koishi smiled. "Miss Yukari's right, you're pretty dim," she teased sweetly. "I really like you Adam, that's why I'm telling you this. It's pretty obvious Flandre really likes you too, and that's why I'm looking out for her."

"I will do my best to not hurt her," Adam said, remembering what the younger Scarlet had said to him. "I keep my word."

Koishi smiled. "I'm glad. She's really lucky to meet someone like you."

Adam blinked, and Koishi was gone before he could even realize it. He felt another pang of irritation, but ignored it. It was less frustrating than the sheets. He shook his head, what was he doing again?

Oh right, trying to get back before Remilia wakes up.

=][=

When Adam finally returned to the surface, he wasn't sure if the sun would beat him. A soft glow shone through the windows, and he couldn't help a good old Romanian curse. He wound up using Alice's favorite as he jogged over to the nearest window, hazarding a peek: the heavenly orb was just peeking over Gensokyo's lone mountain. Remilia was sure to be up by now.

He couldn't run, his footsteps would be too heavy. At best, all he could make was a brisk pace, and hope the Scarlet Devil had not awoken just yet.

In due time, Adam made his way to the second floor, and the sun was shining brightly through the windows. He was far too late, this much was obvious-

"He's had a trying time, I wouldn't worry too much about it."

"I tried following your advice, Sakuya!"

Adam dropped to all fours, slowly making his way over to Remilia's door. What was going on in there?

"My lady, if you didn't try confronting him about his attitude-"

"Okay that was poor tact, but I tried being nicer after that! I think he really hates me."

"Adam doesn't have a hateful bone in his body, I think he has more reason to abhor Koakuma than you."

Adam let out an annoyed sigh, leaning against the door. Of course they were talking about him, although he appreciated that they waited until he was gone this time.

"Maybe we could ask Alice to talk to him, she sent word she was coming to visit today."

"Hold that thought Sakuya."

Remilia yanked her door open, and Adam's back slapped against the floor with a thud. He blinked dizzily before focusing on a fully dressed Remilia. "Good morning, mistress."

Remilia let out a snarl, which wasn't all that threatening to the black hulk she hovered over. "Where have you _been_?!" she scolded. "I can't believe I actually wasted time worrying about you!"

"I couldn't sleep," Adam said flatly. "I thought a walk and some moonlight would clear my mind. I fell asleep in the foyer."

Sakuya gave Adam a skeptical look, but the warning glare she got in return made her feel quite small. However, resolve welled within her, she would find out what he did whether that clumsy fool liked it or not.

"Forgive my tardiness all the same, mistress. I am sorry I worried you so," Adam said uncharacteristically smoothly, which earned a larger rise from Sakuya's brow. He must have done something very bad.

A loud slap filled the air, and Adam's neck popped loudly. He let out a grunt, slowly twisting his head back into position. Remilia stared back at the beast, red in the face. "Consider yourself forgiven!" With that she stomped out of her room, leaving Adam and Sakuya behind.

"I need to exercise my timeliness," Adam mused, looking at Sakuya. "I am not telling you."

"Yes you are," Sakuya retorted flatly. "Or I tell the mistress about your visit with that girl after your fit."

Adam blinked, his heart skipping a beat. How did she- of course she would know, why wouldn't she know? She was expected to know nothing short of everything going on in the mansion. "You know I have been seeing Flandre," he glanced out the window, making note of the crow sitting just outside. "Why have you not told Remilia already?"

"Because I don't want you to get into trouble, and as it stands you will only drive a greater rift between them," Sakuya answered, folding her arms. "I haven't told her because there are only bad things to come of it. As much as Remilia would want to keep you from her, finding out will only hurt her more than I can allow."

"Then why threaten me?"

"Because you tend to run your mouth when you panic," Sakuya playfully slapped him. "It was the quickest way to get it out of you." The homonculus let out a snarl, which earned another light swat from the maid. "Don't get hissy with me, young man."

Adam lowered his head, defeated by the woman. "Yes Sakuya."

Sakuya motioned for the obsidian hulk to follow as she made her exit. "Come on mister night owl, we still have a breakfast to attend."

Adam wasn't entirely sure what to make of his life right now. Usually, when things settled down, something bad happened to him. He was kind of overdue for a horrible twist of bad luck right about now, right?

The sound of Sakuya clearing her throat compelled him to move. Maybe life was done? Perhaps things were finally looking up. Things would settle down, everyone would like him, and everything would be quiet.

He'd like that.

The walk to the dining hall was relaxed. Adam couldn't place how nice everything felt since he spoke to Flandre. It was like... he couldn't even describe the feeling, it simply was. He felt overly pleasant, almost too pleasant. It was subtly uncomfortable, feeling so strange and so different, he really couldn't place this airy, bubbly feeling inside. Even when he saw mother again, he could put a name to the overwhelming happiness in him. When he spoke to Sakuya, he could easily describe the relaxed feeling he got when they were alone.

This time it was another feeling, something new—intimidating even. He had to ask Sakuya- something in his mind told him asking her about this was a bad idea. Adam gave the maid a once-over, trying to discern his apprehension. He trusted her, he could easily talk to her about anything, why not this?

As the pair entered the dining hall, Adam gave everyone present a scrutinizing look, save for Koakuma, who he exchanged bitter glares with. Who could he talk to?

This is what occupied Adam's thoughts as he took his place at Remilia's side, who was still looking frustrated. Hopefully she wouldn't find a reason to slap him again, his neck was starting to hurt.

Maybe a vague question to Remilia would give him some sense of direction. "Mistress, may I ask you something?" Remilia let out a soft hum, imploring the homonculus to speak. "I have been suffering from a strange sensation, I almost feel lightweight."

Remilia finally looked at Adam, giving him a queer look. "You're going to have to give me more than that if you want my help, Adam."

The homonculus stared at the tablecloth, taking in the golden embroidery. "It is an alien sense of weightlessness, I feel strangely... nonchalant, but not at all lethargic. My shoulders feel less... pressure than normal."

"Sounds like gas," Patchouli observed from behind her book.

Meiling snorted violently in the background, and Sakuya could barely suppress a snicker, but Remilia's face remained flat. "When did it start?"

"This morning," Adam answered honestly.

The vampire's wings twitched as she mused silently, drumming up an answer. "It could just be from a lack of sleep, I don't know how that would affect you... is it like a careless, airy feeling?"

At this, Adam nodded earnestly.

Remilia let out an inquisitive hum, shifting in her seat. "Tell me, last night, what kept you up?"

Adam blinked. He had to make something up. He furrowed his brow, thinking quite hard. "Stressed," he said. "Worried. So much has been happening lately, it is hard to get a feeling for my future." It wasn't exactly a lie.

"And why would you be worried about your future?"

"Everything has been happening so fast," Adam explained. "Not even a week ago I was much smaller, life was simpler," he made an airy gesture, "now everything feels more complicated."

Remilia's head tilted. "Maybe you just got over the stress?" Remilia asked.

Adam glanced aside, trying to look thoughtful.

"Adam, dear, I'd hate to call you out in front of everyone, but I know you're lying to me," Remilia said, trying not to sound irritated. "Why don't you just tell me what's going on?" The vampire looked over her shoulder to Sakuya, who gave her a reassuring nod.

"I feel strange," Adam said, starting to sound annoyed himself. "It is hard to describe. It is alien, unwelcome. I feel wrong."

"What a way to start breakfast," Patchouli said, floating over. "Let's get the obvious out-of-the-way first: have you caught any more feminine scents since your episode?"

"Hey!"

"No, I have not caught any... no," Adam fiddled with his hands awkwardly, still feeling sore over that whole matter.

"I think he has," Patchouli said. "Maybe it's just residual, I could take him to the library and give him a check-up—cross-reference with Alice when she arrives."

"A sound idea," Remilia nodded in agreement. "We'll sort it out, Adam, don't let it vex you too much."

The homonculus nodded soberly. He might have just made things worse.

=][=

Flandre had forgotten the last time she wore this dress, there was a part of her that forgot it even existed. Yet here she was, wearing silk dress-gloves the color of midnight, with a long dress of matching color with golden floral embroidery, complete with branching thorns. She had forgone her head-wear and usual hairdo in favor of loose, flowing hair, expertly curled to bounce in tune with her steps.

The younger Scarlet deftly twirled her parasol, staring at the soaked cobblestone roads, watching the rain disturb a nearby puddle. She shuffled anxiously, flexing her fingers around the handle of her parasol. Where was he? Why did he always keep her waiting?

The girl let out a squeak, feeling a pair of strong, scaly arms gingerly wrap around her. She leaned into the intruder as he nuzzled her sweetly, "didn't Patchy ever tell you not to keep a lady waiting?"

Adam let out an amused huff, kissing her jawline. "I don't think I was made with dates in mind," he said, his voice low and smooth like sculpted marble.

Flandre giggled when his lips found her bare neck, one of her hands left her parasol and raked her fingers across the back of his skull. "Oh Adam! Not in public, you'll make a scene!" She squirmed in his strong arms to no avail.

"Let them watch, I don't feel ashamed," the homonculus purred, hugging her closer into his broad chest.

"You're such a brute!" Flandre cried, smacking Adam's head playfully. "We really shouldn't do this in publiii-!" the vampire squealed when he nipped her neck, leaving a small red mark. "You naughty beast!" she jeered.

Adam let out a chuckle, "forgive me, I simply lose myself when I'm with you."

Flandre let out a dreamy sigh, lifting Adam's head so he was eye level with her. "You're too much."

"I _am_ a large package," he responded wryly, which earned him another playful swat.

"That was awful, never say that again!" Flandre scolded, although she couldn't sound serious even if she tried.

"I think you enjoy it just as much as I do," Adam responded, playing with her curled locks with one of his large claws.

"Maybe I do," Flandre said sweetly, "what happens if I like it?"

Adam pretended to mull it over. "I do not know, what _does_ happen?"

Flandre squirmed a bit, managing to turn around in his arms, finally face-to-face. "I think I deserve something sweet," she answered, looping her arms around his neck, forgetting about the parasol trapped betwixt them. "Something only you can give me." She pulled his face closer and closed her eyes.

Flandre mewled softly as she buried her face in her pillow, giving it the wettest, sloppiest kiss she could. "Oh Adam, you're so intolerably lewd~!" she purred. Then she opened her eyes, staring at the flat colors of a white pillow. The vampire sat up, staring at the wet mark on the pillow, feeling a tingling in her fingers. She raised one of her hands and gave it a quick inspection, noticing nothing.

"It was a..." her lips curled into an enraged snarl, she picked up her pillow, and in one fluid motion ripped it in half.

* * *

I would just like to share with everyone that it's been a wild ride so far, I hope it's been fun for you too.

But we're almost at the end. We're three fourths done with this part of the saga, and I can't wait to get started on the second installment. So let's really savor these last few chapters.


	18. Rematch

_DokturProfesur_

_belted by Touhou rays_

_churned out lots more words!_

_Ain't he unglamor-ous!_

* * *

The Scarlet Mansion's library had become the focal point of many ruckuses, problems, and overall hooplas as of late. This was no exception.

"Open your mouth."

Adam did so, his lips parting and his sharp jaws jutting out, flaunting an impressively long tongue. Patchouli shuddered as she saw the long appendage roll out of his mouth and dangle lifelessly. "G-good," she hesitantly pressed down on his tongue, peering into the black abyss of Adam's maw. She could see a second row of plate-like teeth growing just behind the first row. A spare set? "I don't think I'll ever find something about your physiology not worth marveling over."

Adam made a sound of confusion, but was shushed by the pale magician as she examined him. She pulled her hand away, patting him on the cheek. His tongue retreated and he closed his jaws, which were covered by his lips. "I fail to see-"

"Hush," Patchouli said flatly. "Hold still." She spread his nostrils, inspecting them briefly. Adam snorted in her face, tickled by her small fingers. Patchouli tried to ignore it. "Remarkably clean, though I suppose reptiles don't need to worry about such things." She checked the other, just as impressed. "Well I don't see anything physically wrong with you. Turn around."

Adam nodded, shifting in his seat and facing his back to her. Patchouli gave the homonculus' form a cursory glance before running her fingers along his scales. He gave a soft shudder, earning a huff from the magician. "Enjoying this, are you?"

Adam snorted loudly. "Excuse me?"

"You keep tensing," Patchouli observed. "Yet you do not reel. Enjoying yourself?"

The homonculus stared at the floor as Patchouli kept teasing his back, trying to find his muscles. "No comment."

The magician huffed, amused. "Of course." The moment she pulled her hand away he let out a sigh, it almost sounded disappointed. "I know you've been giving Koakuma a wide berth, but I don't think your problems have ceased by cutting her out of the equation."

Adam rubbed his temples, "Patchouli..." he groaned.

"Simply put, your prior exposure may be the source of this emotional upheaval you claim to be suffering from," Patchouli elaborated. "I think I may have a sound solution, but first I'd like to wait for Alice."

"I would rather mama did not know about this," Adam whined.

Patchouli waved him off. "Nonsense, her input would be valuable. She has a most intimate knowledge of your physiology."

Adam cradled his face, utterly ashamed. "Please do not think less of me, mama," he prayed softly.

Thus, the pair waited. What was a mere ten minutes for Patchouli was the grim culmination of a cruel, torturous eternity for the homonculus beside her, running through every possible scenario that ended in Alice's disappointment and summary abandonment. Adam simply could not fight the anxiety welling in his chest and throat as the minutes went by, he felt like he was going to hack up all that fish he ate the night prior.

When Adam finally saw Alice enter the library, he just about did. He let out a queasy belch, a burning bile erupting from his throat and scalded his tongue. He quickly and forcefully swallowed whatever ungodly concoction had just tried leaving him. He would remain composed, he absolutely could not disappoint her.

Yet all his soul told him that he was on the verge of doing just that.

Adam couldn't help shooting out of his seat, even if his stomach lurched painfully from the action. Alice's already brisk pace broke into a full sprint, and even with all his troubles, Adam was happy to meet her halfway. Adam overtook the Romanian girl, lifting her off of the ground and giving her a good squeeze, chirping softly as she giggled in his arms.

"My baby's so lively today~!" Alice crooned, keeping her arms firmly around Adam's chest.

"Mama..." Adam said softly between chirps, hugging his mother as close to his heart as he could. She just made all his problems go away, and for however long she stayed today, he'd be in bliss. "I missed you mama."

"I missed you too, honey!" Alice pecked her homonculus' smooth muzzle, offering him a sweet smile. "I'm glad you're doing better."

"Things have certainly been eventful since you took your leave yesterday morning," Patchouli said as she floated over to the couple. "Adam is worried you'll express disappointment."

Alice pulled away from Adam's embrace, giving him a quizzical look. "I'd never be upset with you, tell mama what's bothering you."

The obsidian hulk frowned, his head slowly turning. "I..." he swallowed a generous lump, by no means willing to divulge. "I did something bad."

Alice's brow rose to new heights, "Adam," she intoned. "You know how mama feels about communicating."

Adam let out a small groan. "It's important..." he drawled.

The Romanian nodded. "So tell me what happened."

"I..." Adam had to set Alice down, overwhelmed by a sense of shame. "I... Koakuma..." he cleared his throat, as well as scratched it, "I caught her scent, and I..." then he made several clumsy groping motions, "I wanted to touch her."

Alice's face grew red as she ran the scenario in her head. She cupped her rosy cheeks and failed to suppress a smile. "Oh my baby's noticing girls! He's a big man now!" Alice giggled airily, hugging her arms close to her chest. "I'm happy you have eyes on that cute redhead, even though I know you can do better."

It was here that Patchouli tried butting in. "Alice, I don't think we should be playing matchmaker-"

"I've been looking forward to today, dear. It's time to tell you about the birds and the bees!" Alice continued, ignoring the pale magician beside her. "You see, when a male and a female find each-other aesthetically pleasing, they may take the time to-"

"Alice!" Patchouli shouted, her already weak voice cracking from the strain. She coughed hoarsely, finally garnering the blushing mother's attention. "Now is not the time!"

"Patchouli we need to discuss this! I will not have poor Adam stumble through his first romance like I had to!" Alice said with a huff. "And according to Koakuma, you haven't fared any better."

Patchouli sputtered violently, ripping her hat off and yanking it to and fro in an effort to rip it up. "Wh-what the hell did that witch tell you that for?!"

Adam remained looming in the background as his parents bickered, effectively frazzled. Maybe if he stayed quiet long enough, they would forget he was here and he could leave before they finished talking. Yes, that was a good idea.

"What were we talking about again?"

"Adam's getting amorous with Koakuma," Patchouli answered.

Adam remained silent. There was still a chance he could leave and go hide somewhere.

"Ever since the incident he's been suffering from feelings he deems unwelcome," the pale magician continued. "Lack of sleep -according to Sakuya-, as well as a weightless, not at all lethargic sensation." She shrugged helplessly. "He feels nonchalant, apparently."

Alice gave Adam a once-over. "What did you say Koakuma was again?"

"A devil," Patchouli said, "in every definition. Poor Adam was smitten by her natural abilities. I usually keep them suppressed with some alchemical supplements, but she's apparently saw fit to dodge taking them as of late, leading to our little incident," she made a gesture to Adam. "I am concerned he's still under the influence of her narcotic scent."

"Why isn't anyone else affected?"

"Blame Adam's nose," the pale magician said, bringing a finger to her own. "He has more acute olfactory senses, and could still pick up the scent. I shudder to think what would have happened if Koakuma stopped taking her pills completely."

"So let's say he's smitten with your devil friend," Alice said, her eyes trained on Adam. "What do you suggest?"

"I was actually hoping you could help me find something, you know more about his physiology than any of us. This is just a sign of his hitting maturity, I think. Hormones finally kicking back in after lying dormant for so long."

The Romanian approached Adam, looking rather concerned. "How do you feel right now?"

"Embarrassed," Adam said flatly.

Alice's lips twitched upwards, "you don't look the part."

"I do not lie, mama."

"Don't get mad," Alice said, glancing aside, toward Patchouli, "but I had Marisa steal a few books on crocodiles." She paused, allowing Patchouli to make a frustrated whine at the news. "So tell me, when you think about some of the girls here, what do you feel?"

Adam furrowed his brow, his gaze drifting as he mulled over the query. "I am... not entirely sure how to answer that."

"Okay..." Alice glanced aside, thoughtful. Her lips curled into a wry smile, "how do you feel when you think of Sakuya?"

"She makes me feel nice," Adam said, his voice taking on a pleasant inflection. "It is fun to talk to her, and she is very kind."

Alice laughed, "okay honey, now let's explore that. How do you feel physically?"

Adam's furrowed brow folded in on itself, if that was possible. "I don't follow. I feel nice, what else am I supposed to feel?"

The Romanian girl put a finger to her chin, "like... oh how can I ask this without getting dirty?"

"_Alice,_" Patchouli hissed, "please don't start."

"Have you ever..." Alice hummed thoughtfully. "Is she pretty?"

Adam's head rolled to the side, giving his mother a queer look. "Mama you've seen Sakuya, I fail to see how my opinion-"

"Do you like looking at her?" Alice prodded.

"Alice!"

Adam's head rolled to the side, "mama I don't understand."

"Let's pretend she's working, right?" Alice moved to a nearby shelf, pretending to dust. "And say she has to reach a bit..." she rose to the tips of her toes, "and you get to see her-"

"**Alice!**" Patchouli shrieked.

The Romanian giggled madly, "okay, okay, no more, he's clearly clueless."

Adam scratched his chin, still running over the whole scenario in his head. He'd be sure to look into whatever he was supposed to see.

"I'm not letting you make Adam a deviant!"

"I didn't know you cared so much about his propriety, Patchouli. I'm sure Remilia would have loved it, if her choice of nightwear is anything to go by."

Patchouli looked like she was on the verge of tearing her hair out. "Look, maybe we should just put something pretty in front of him."

Alice tapped her chin, "is Koakuma available?"

The pale magician snorted derisively, "sure, she'd love to be in the same room as the terrible brute that nearly had his way with her." She looked up, eying the shimmering chandelier as she puzzled. "I have an alternative solution," she said quite quickly. "Wait here, I'll go get China."

Alice did a double take as she watched Patchouli leave. "I thought we were supposed to get something pretty, not an Amazon."

"Just humor me!" The pale magician called over her shoulder.

Adam stared at the floor, wishing he could leave.

=][=

"China!"

Meiling let out a loud snort, startled awake by the familiar voice of everyone's favorite librarian. She shifted before Patchouli rounded the corner, trying to look like she'd been awake the whole time.

"China, I need you," Patchouli said as she floated over the gate, peering down at the gatekeeper.

"Boy I've been popular lately," Meiling drolled, stretching her arms and letting out a grunt. "What do you need me to wrestle now? Talk Alice into making an army of little buggers?"

Patchouli paused, looking thoughtful, but shook her head furiously. "N-no, this is just a social experiment."

Meiling let out a curious hum. "A social experiment, huh? Haven't done one of those in a while. _W__ǒmen zǒu ba._"

Patchouli nodded, looking a tad relieved. She turned and slowly floated back toward the mansion, hoping Meiling would keep pace. She felt strange, and not the usual strange associated with being outside, more like she was being hunted. Paranoid, Patchouli's gaze darted about, however, she found nothing remotely sinister lurking in the heavy fog, just a few crows.

"Hey China, do you remember how long has this fog been here?"

"Noticed it too, huh?" Meiling asked. "It's been hanging out here since the summer. Has Remilia been up to anything?"

"Remilia made it clear she didn't want Reimu kicking down her door again," Patchouli noted flatly, coming to a halt at the front door. "It's been this thick since the summer?"

The gatekeeper offered a curt nod. "Around when Adam moved in, so more or less."

Patchouli ushered Meiling inside the mansion, eying the mist with suspicion. She made plans to disperse it in the future, every second it remained, the more uncomfortable it would make her.

Meiling tried to get the exact nature of Patchouli's latest endeavor out of her, but the pale magician remained tight-lipped. The walk to the library was carried in relative silence, which started to replace Meiling's curiosity with concern.

"Thanks again for taking part," Patchouli said as she entered the library.

"I'm a bit nervous now, but it's no... big... deal..." she found herself stuck in the doorway, staring at what she realized was the subject of Patchouli's experiments. Her hand found itself on her own throat. "Shouldn't he be with Remilia or his girlfriend Sakuya?"

Adam shrunk at Meiling's tone, shuffling nervously behind Alice.

"So what am I supposed to do, Patchouli?" the gatekeeper asked, her tone hardening with every syllable.

Patchouli floated to Meiling's side, beckoning for the last person the Chinawoman wanted to tread near. "Adam, come here."

Meiling felt the hair on her neck stand on end as the black demon inched closer with great apprehension. She tried to reassure herself that what happened last time she'd seen him was an isolated incident, but she found herself readying for an attack anyway. "Does he have to get so close?" Meiling asked, "he doesn't have to get within spitting distance."

"Yes he does," Patchouli responded flatly. She exchanged a knowing look with Alice, who chose to remain silent and let Patchouli do her thing. When Adam stood nary a meter from the gatekeeper, Patchouli executed her plan. "Adam, you remember China-"

"Meiling," the redhead said bitterly, exchanging an annoyed look with Patchouli before returning her gaze to Adam. "My name is Hong Meiling."

Adam blinked a few times, soaking in the information. His gaze went to the ground for a moment, nodding shallowly to himself. "Sorry," he said meekly.

The Chinawoman found her throat itching again. "About what?"

"For thinking your name was China," Adam answered, keeping his posture submissive.

Maybe he just didn't remember the whole neck thing. Then again she didn't do anything to express to him she was mad about it. "That's... just make sure it doesn't happen again."

"Listen carefully Adam," Patchouli spoke up. "I need you to come closer."

"Patchouli-"

"This is part of the experiment, _China_," Patchouli interrupted sternly. "I need you to get a bit closer."

Adam exchanged a worried look with Meiling. The poor bastard looked as equally confused as she was. However, much to her dismay he inched forward. Meiling found herself on the verge of retreating, but dashed such a cowardly notion. She was more skilled with him, she had lived longer than him. Experience would always beat youth.

Once Adam was a satisfactory proximity, the pale magician spoke up once more. "Now then, do you smell anything?"

Meiling felt a sudden urge to punch Patchouli's head off.

Adam shook his head, earning a hum from the magician. "Look at her," she ordered. The homonculus complied, making sure to silently broadcast to Meiling that he was just as lost as she was. He maintained eye contact with her, hoping that was what Patchouli wanted. "Get a good look?" His shallow nod spurred her on. "Do you feel anything, looking at her?"

It was at this moment that the gatekeeper thought she figured out what was going on. "_Wángbā dàn!_" she cursed. "I am not going to play eye-candy for the little freak!"

"Oh please, there are better options," Patchouli retorted tartly.

"I think she's pretty."

Both girls regarded Adam quizzically, as if they had not heard him the first time. His head darted between them, rather flustered. "I... I think she is pretty," he said again, just to be safe.

He was promptly floored by Meiling's fist.

"Why did you do that?!" Patchouli shrieked, her voice cracking so badly it turned hoarse.

"I panicked!" Meiling retorted hotly, her cheeks flaring up. "I wasn't ready for him to get all patronizing on me!"

"This is how you repay a compliment?!"

"Oh he's just saying that! He's a butler; his life's mission is to kiss ass!"

"Ouch..."

Adam grabbed his broken jawbone, trying to force it back into place. He let out a few annoyed grunts, as it kept falling back out of alignment. He paused when Alice approached him, offering a quick chirp before resuming his work. The Romanian let out an exasperated sound as she knelt next to him, gingerly moving his jaw back into place and holding it for a few seconds. When her hand retreated, his jaw remained, as if he wasn't just punched in the face. He slowly rose into a sitting position, flexing his bottom jaw. "Thank you, mama."

The sound of Adam's voice had garnered Meiling's attention, almost making her forget that Patchouli was still trying to scold her. She'd seen him suffer through a lot -Marisa's point-blank master spark came to mind- however, that took time to recover from. She laid him out with one solid punch and he didn't look any worse for wear. It was like she had never punched him to begin with.

She remembered fighting him when he was that dragon beast—that thing Yukari called Gustave. It was a bit of an effort, but she had dispatched him handily. Now, though, between getting mauled and this, the Chinawoman had to wonder just how much he had changed. Was he stronger?

She had to find out.

"Hey Adam." Meiling made her way over to the obsidian beast, completely blowing off the sputtering Patchouli. "How's about that rematch?"

Adam's brow furrowed at the idea. He wasn't entirely interested, not with Alice around. "Can we some other time? I would like to spend time with mama."

Meiling offered a smirk to the larger homonculus. "Trust me, it won't take long. I just... I'd like to get a feel of where you're at right now."

As Patchouli and Alice exchanged confused looks, Adam was quick to again shoot the gatekeeper down. "I want to spend time with mama," Adam retorted flatly. "If it really will not take long, we can easily do this some other time."

"Scared you'll lose?" Meiling taunted.

"Irrelevant," Adam said with a gesture of finality.

"I think it's entirely relevant," the redhead responded smoothly, taking a few steps closer to Adam. "With everything going on, I think you have a lot of steam you need to blow off."

Adam's brow folded even further if it was possible. He flexed his large claws, and rolled on the arches of his feet. "You believe that a spar will help with my problems."

Meiling shrugged, "hey, anything is worth a shot, right?"

Adam exchanged looks with both Patchouli and Alice, his expression nigh unreadable. His eyes went to the floor, then aside, finally returning to Meiling. "I will try," he said finally, breaking the pregnant silence. "I will be in your care."

"Don't give me that responsibility," Meiling laughed. "Come on, we're going outside."

=][=

"Adam, are you sure this is a good idea?"

The homonculus felt a rising sensation in his chest. "I find myself believing such, Patchouli," he said as he strode off of the porch and into the foggy yard of the Scarlet Mansion. "This place, it is almost dream-like."

Patchouli pulled Alice aside as Adam wandered across the dew-covered grass. "Please tell me you're worried he'll run off. I don't want to be alone here."

Alice offered the pale magician a nostalgic smile. "Oh it wouldn't be the first time. He's pretty adventurous when you let him."

"I don't need the stress," Patchouli whined. "He's already straining my relationship with Koakuma."

"Given the way you smack her around I'm insulted that you're blaming Adam alone," Alice retorted.

"He still makes a good excuse for cutting my losses," Patchouli said with a smirk. "I'm overdue anyway."

"Okay big guy, you ready?" Meiling called, doing a few quick stretches as Adam wandered about. "I was thinking of just some tame wrestling. No claws, no kicks, no biting," she took a moment to rub her throat, "and the clothes stay on. Deal?"

Adam looked down at his scaly form. "I'm not wearing any clothes," he offered plaintively, trying to be helpful. "Should I put some on?"

"That's fine, you oaf," the gatekeeper said with a dismissive gesture. "So you ready?"

Adam stared at the ground making sure his footing was secure. "Yes, I do think I'm-"

Meiling was on Adam in a flash, her strong arms putting him in a powerful vice as the pair sailed into the ground. The two sailed through the air for a moment before grinding against the soft blades of grass, soaking Adam's back with fresh morning dew. The moment the homonculus hit the ground something clicked in him, the gears in his mind turning and weaving webs of thought that he -by all rights- could never have conceived.

Adam's hands snapped to Meiling's forearms, pulling on them vigorously to keep them from further crushing his throat. Even in his fervor, he neglected to use his claws. This was wrestling, not a duel to first blood like in his books. The obsidian beast somehow managed to struggle to his feet, Meiling in tow. He flailed wildly, but her grip was nothing short of the purest iron.

The homonculus' back popped loudly, and his body bent in a way that looked impossible as his spine arched in on itself, smashing the gatekeeper against the ground head-first.

Patchouli snorted as the spectacle unfolded, as Adam again smashed Meiling between the wet earth and his thick hide. "That was almost a German-suplex," she said with a smirk.

"German what?" Alice asked, wincing as Adam smashed Meiling again, finally forcing her to relent.

The pale magician couldn't help applauding as Meiling kicked Adam's feet out from under him, forcing him to the ground once more and putting him in a haphazard full-nelson."It's a wrestling technique, according to my books. I showed China how to do a regular suplex."

"What does a suplex look like?" Alice asked, tearing her eyes away from the spectacle before she went over to beat up Meiling for giving her baby a bloody nose.

"Well it's rather easy, you take them by the head and..." Patchouli paused as she tried demonstrating the motions. "Come here it'll be easier to demonstrate if I have help."

Adam wasted no time struggling in Meiling's formidable grip. He tucked his head and whipped it back, smashing his iron skull into the gatekeeper's face. Blood squirted from the woman's nose as she reeled, dazed for the few unfortunate seconds Adam needed to free himself. He hit the ground, planting his hands in the grass and swinging his legs, kicking Meiling's feet from under her just as she had done to him. The homonculus then hurled himself off of the ground, sailing into the air, and at the zenith of his ascent he extended his legs.

It boggled Meiling how hard he hit, how fast he was now that he was so small. She could tell all that reptilian muscle was just packed into him, especially the way he pounded her into the earth with his heels.

The ground buckled and split beneath the force of Adam's strike, and now the once-pristine part of the mansion's yard had another unsightly crater thanks to its resident troublemaker. The homonculus hopped off of the Chinawoman, grabbing her by the ankle and hoisting her up.

It was at this point Meiling realized this might have been a bad idea. She locked eyes with the homonculus, his usual empty mucus-yellow eyes once again replaced with a predatory olive, his pupils standing out in contrast to the usual blank slate.

Patchouli wheezed as she hit the ground, and a pathetic whine was summarily teased out of her. "G-good job," she gasped, trying to recover her breath.

Alice giggled. "I feel like such a brute!" she said with flushed cheeks. "Never in all my years would I have imagined I'd perform a wrestling technique from the outside world!"

The pale magician remained placid on the porch, staring at the awning above them like it was a starry sky. "Yep."

"Is Adam misbehaving again?"

Both magicians found their heads turning to the front door, where Remilia and her shadow Sakuya stood. The maid had a parasol in her arms, and Remilia was wearing a rather simple sun hat that matched her usual dress. "What did he do to upset China?"

"I-it's mostly a friendly spar, I'm given to understand," Alice offered.

Remilia exchanged an amused look with a concerned Sakuya. "And the crater in my yard?"

Alice flushed as she rubbed the back of her neck. "Well you know how boys get when they roughhouse."

Remilia's attention went back to said roughhousing, just in time to see Meiling tackle Adam through the brick wall. "Say, Sakuya, remember when we discussed taking down the wall?"

The maid nodded curtly. "It seems those two are more than happy to do it for us."

Adam planted his heels into the earth, and dug his claws into the broken ground as Meiling pushed him further and further toward the shore. Adam managed to wrest her hands away from his shoulders, holding her wrists as her advanced slowed, falling to a stalemate. The homonculus hissed, his muscles clenched, and started pushing.

At first it was negligible, Meiling barely budged. However, the harder Adam pushed, the more the loose, wet stones of the lakeshore gave, and soon he was starting to push her back. Somehow, by some bastard twist, he was starting to overpower her.

It was a shock to everyone. Meiling was, physically, the most powerful among the Scarlet Mansion's residents. Yet here was this crime against nature, this twisted insult to life, this homonculus was somehow gaining an edge over her.

The slightest pinprick of fear struck Meiling's back, but she shrugged it off just as quickly as it struck. A stronger opponent meant nothing to her. Using his push, she fell onto her back, planted her foot on Adam's chest, and kicked him off of her. He rolled across the shore, his head smacking against a large stone. Meiling, now on her feet, charged the devil as he rose. Again he hurled forward like a landslide. She weaved past his arms, struck his gut in the same spot she did so long ago, and as his body clenched, she grabbed him by the ankles and swung him into the ground.

Adam did not get up this time. His breathing hoarse, he simply stared at Meiling with an awestruck gaze.

"I win," Meiling said flatly, finally relaxing. It didn't turn out the way she wanted, but she still had come out on top. As she watched Adam's olive eyes cloud back into that blank yellow, she had to wonder what exactly that meant. "You okay?"

Adam stared for a few more seconds. The sound of Meiling snapping her fingers brought him to his senses. He blinked a few times and shook his head. "Are you okay?" he asked shakily.

"I asked first, but I'm fine," the gatekeeper answered, finally taking a moment to wipe the remaining blood off of her face. "You?"

Adam furrowed his brow, staring at the depression in his gut as it righted itself. "It does not matter," he said with a dismissive wave of his hand. "I just hope I did not damage you too badly."

Meiling waved it off, "you're fine." The two sat in silence for a spell, but the redhead just had to break it. "You uh... you going to get up?"

Adam shook his head. "I feel... nostalgic," he said. "I would like to remain here."

It was at this point that the pair were joined by everyone else. As Adam and Patchouli attempted to allay Alice's anxiety, Remilia and Sakuya hung in the back, watching until things settled down.

"I didn't think he was that strong," Sakuya observed, audibly impressed. "I knew he was capable, but stronger than China?"

Remilia flushed as her mind lingered on the way Adam's muscles worked while he grappled with Meiling, "h-he's certainly full of surprises," she said, quickly recomposing.

Sakuya smirked. "Do I detect adoration in your voice, mistress?"

The Scarlet Devil scoffed, turning her reddening nose at the notion. "I'm impressed, nothing more, Sakuya. I don't know where you keep getting such silly observations."

The maid huffed in amusement. "Of course, mistress. Still, I feel somewhat proud of him."

"His mother's but a few paces away," Remilia teased.  
Sakuya waved if off. "I watched over him for a time, it's easy to get attached when he was acting like a little shadow of mine."

"Mama, I can recover just fine," Adam whined. "Please calm yourself."

"B-but your gut, it's-"

"Fine," Adam said, taking his mother's hand. "Now please, do not worry so. It makes me upset when you are not happy."

Pouting, Alice simply pulled the homonculus into a hug. "You're so..." she made a frustrated sound. "Why do you keep doing this to me?"

Adam gladly returned the hug, "because you're my mama."

Alice peeked over her shoulder at Patchouli, who somehow found time to start taking notes. "Hey Patchy," she called. "Come here, we're having a family hug."

The pale magician paused, glancing at the two. "I'll pass," she responded, sounding as disinterested as ever.

Once again, Alice was pouting. "Adam, get up and grab her."

A gentle breeze blew Patchouli away. "I'm fine, thanks," she said as Adam rose to his feet with Alice in tow. "I'm serious, I don't want to take part in these hugs!"

A determined crease found its way on Alice's forehead. "Get her, Adam."

"So did you find what you wanted, China?" Sakuya asked, watching Adam and Alice chase Patchouli.

The gatekeeper shrugged. "Yeah, Alice didn't just change him, she improved him. Faster, stronger, more ferocious," she let out a sigh. "It's a shame, according to Yukari he was the only one of his kind."

A crow cawed in the background.

"I mostly remember her being livid with what we'd done to... Gustave? Was that what she called him?"

"She didn't look too mad."

Sakuya glowered, "trust me, she was beyond outraged. But let's discuss something marginally less unnerving, shall we?"

Meiling frowned, but decided to go with the flow. "Yeah, sure," she folded her soaked arms, "where do you think he came from? What was his life like before we ruined it?"

"I remember asking the mistress a similar question. She told me the nile was a river in a arid desert called Africa, the only oasis in an empire of sand. It was home to beasts beyond imagination, things that would give even a youkai pause." She looked on as Adam tackled Patchouli, plucking her from the air as Alice wrapped her arms around the pale magician. "Crocodiles see anything weaker than them as food. She told me they were cunning and powerful, having no qualms about testing even her."

"Wow," Meiling rubbed the back of her head. "And they're all like Gustave?"

"I don't know, I'm sure he was an exceptional creature given Yukari's interest, though," Sakuya said. "Regardless of the... circumstances of his arrival, I'm happy that Adam's around."

A loud wheeze from Patchouli interrupted the conversation, as Adam had trapped her in his scaly embrace, along with Alice. "Let go of me!" she shouted.

Adam was about to, but Alice's voice stopped him. "No," she said flatly. "You're going to let your boy hug you and that's final!"

The pale magician, red in the face, let out a groan as she hid her furious countenance in Adam's chest. "This is humiliating... I'm a magician, master of magic. I am beyond such petty-"

"Hush you," Alice elbowed Patchouli in the rib,"we're bonding."

Patchouli let out one last petulant whine before resigning herself to Adam's embrace. "Be gentle with me, I bruise easily," she snipped at the homonculus, making him loosen his grip.

"Can we all hug it out inside?" Remilia called, "I think I'm getting icicles in my nose!"

* * *

_Technique over stranth evrytim m8._

_I was overdue on my action quota, so here we are._

_Also I hope it's obvious Remilia's embellishing about Africa._

_Three chapters left._


	19. Life is Cruel, Yet Knows Mercy

_When DokturProfesur throws his mighty-..._

_I can't think of a jingle to make out of the old Captain America song._

* * *

"I'm impressed, Adam. I think we all knew you were pretty strong, but this morning's events have certainly confirmed just how much," Remilia gave the homonculus a pat on the leg, as he was a little preoccupied with Alice and Patchouli, who were still in his arms.

"Thank you, mistress," Adam said with a light bow of his head. "Meiling is strong, I like her."

He was promptly smacked upside the head by the Chinawoman. "Don't get any ideas. You're cute, but not that cute," she admonished.

The homonculus blinked the stars out of his eyes, "what ideas am I not supposed to get?" he asked dumbly.

Meiling gave him an incredulous look, but before she could make a scathing retort Alice spoke up. "It means she's not interested in getting to know you better," she teased.

Adam frowned, looking quite downcast by the unfortunate news. "But I would like to be her friend," he mumbled, scuffing the floor with his clawed feet.

"Let's not get into this, okay?" Patchouli said from under her cap. "Let's instead discuss Adam's welfare."

"Oh!" Alice broke away from her staring contest with Meiling, giving Adam her undivided attention. "How's the young man feeling?"

Adam shrunk under all the expectant gazes he was getting. He really didn't like everyone staring at him, he much preferred to just be around one person at a time. "I feel..." he gave a long, ponderous pause. "I feel very snug."

"That tends to happen when you're carrying two people," Patchouli deadpanned, her voice just barely carrying from under her hat.

"So we're no closer to fixing your problem?" Alice prodded.

"I... I don't know."

"Can you put us down now?" Patchouli whined. With nothing else to really do, Adam complied, however, as soon as his arms were free Remilia was right in front of him.

"Pick me up!" The Scarlet Devil commanded, looking a bit red in the face. Confused, Adam found himself picking her up, although instead of a bridal style like Remilia was hoping, he just held her in front of him like she was an angry cat. "Hold me like a girl you idiot!" the little vampire shouted, flailing wildly in his arms. This only made it worse, as Adam was inclined to wait for her to calm down before he did anything.

Meanwhile, Alice and Patchouli formulated another plan.

"You know, I think we should just lock them in a room together and see what happens," Alice suggested.

"He talks to her all the time," Patchouli retorted, trying to keep hushed, "he's not going to do anything with her just because they're alone. They're alone together more often than not."

"You think they're already... you know, together?"

Patchouli snorted, "she's too much of a prude, and she wouldn't let anything get in the way of her duties."

"I still think we could try," Alice reiterated, casting a glance at Adam.

"To accomplish what?" Patchouli retorted tartly, "at most they'll both find something to do and part."

"Look let's just talk to Sakuya and see if she can get it out of him," Alice finally said.

The pale magician mulled over the proposition, finally shrugging. "Fine, I'll see what she says."

"You stupid lizard! When I said hold me, I meant like this!"

"Why didn't you just say so?"

Patchouli ignored master and slave, her attention on the head maid. She motioned for Sakuya to follow her, and given the roll of her eyes she knew what this was about. The pair retreated into a hallway just around the corner, quiet enough to have words.

"Alright, what am I doing?" Sakuya asked, cutting right into the beating heart of the matter.

"Talking to him" Patchouli answered. "He trusts you, he's comfortable with you, there's nobody more qualified to talk to him."

"And everyone's certain I've stolen his scaly heart," Sakuya folded her arms, her expression even, "and you think if I turn him down again it'll fix him."

Patchouli blinked, her retort caught in her throat. "Again?"

The maid let out a sigh, "I thought I heard him mumbling about me, kisses and whatnot. I thought if I told him it wasn't right to think of more, he'd get over his infatuation," she cast a glance back to the corner they came from, hearing Remilia scold Adam once more. "It's just an innocent crush; a passing fancy. He'll outgrow it, Patchouli."

"I don't think Remilia's keen to let her pet fawn over you when he could be spoiling her," Patchouli retorted flatly. "Just give it another shot, break his fragile heart and grind the pathetic thing into dust if you have to."

"No," Sakuya said with a stern tone, "he doesn't deserve that."

"He didn't deserve us abducting him and making him what he is," Patchouli snipped, her expression matching Sakuya's, "too much has happened, it's far too late to discuss what he does and doesn't deserve."

"I'm not hurting him if I can help it," Sakuya retorted, her tone growing heated.

Patchouli's frown deepened, concerned. "He's just a child, Sakuya. It's like ripping off a-"

"I'm not risking my relationship with him over something so harmless," Sakuya said with finality.

"Your relationship?" Patchouli prodded, "you sound like you've already-" a hard slap cut the pale magician off as her head whipped to the side, her cheek already swelling from the strike. Patchouli casually reached up and felt her abused flesh, letting out a derisive snort. "I was right from the start, he is dangerous to have around, especially if he can make you lose composure like that." Sakuya's subtle flinch spurred the keen-eyed magician on. "This is a dangerous line to be treading, Sakuya. If you two get any closer it'll only make life more difficult."

"I won't let him get too close," Sakuya retorted hotly.

"Your voice lacks resolve, because you know the only way to accomplish this," Patchouli said, her voice growing stronger. "Hurt. Him."

"It won't have to come to that."

Patchouli's head turned, and she peered over her shoulder. "We've discussed this long enough. You know what you need to do, Sakuya, don't start letting emotion get in the way over a simple animal like Adam."

Sakuya sucked in a breath as Patchouli turned to leave, she had tact, she could do this the right way. Trying to muster her resolve, the maid followed, her thoughts on what she needed to say.

"I fail to see what the fuss is about."

"Shut up," Remilia snipped, putting on a most powerful pout just for poor Adam.

Sakuya and Patchouli returned to the rather pathetic drama of Remilia trying to keep Adam's attention, nobody batting an eye at the pale magician's reddened cheek. "Adam," Patchouli said, garnering his attention. "Sakuya needs to talk to you, alone," she gave Sakuya a cold look.

Adam blinked, and much to Remilia's chagrin he set the vampire down. "Okay," he made his way over to the nervous maid, looking a tad worried. "Did I do something wrong?" he asked, his voice already growing anxious.

Sakuya swallowed the lump in her throat, mustering her resolve. "I just need to talk to you about something," she offered Adam her hand, which he gladly took. It was usually easier to get where you needed to go when you held his hand, he wouldn't stop at the windows.

The Scarlet Devil sucked in a deep breath as she watched Sakuya lead Adam away. "You wanna explain why Sakuya's taking my Adam, Patchouli?" Remilia growled. "Things were going fine until you opened your mouth."

"Oh please, I've seen better courting attempts from mantises," Patchouli retorted flippantly, "this is just something Sakuya should have done a long time ago."

Alice found Patchouli's matter-of-fact tone quite worrisome, "what exactly is Sakuya doing?"

=][=

"Thank you, Sakuya."

The maid frowned, he wouldn't be thankful for much longer, especially if she did what Patchouli wanted. She kept leading him down the halls, trying to find a spare room they could use to chat. "For what?" she asked, narrowly remembering that Adam had spoken.

Adam scratched his throat. "I do not like being surrounded by so many, it makes me nervous. I prefer being with only a few people," he said, his voice taking on a whimsical inflection, "and I am always happy to speak with you."

It felt like a punch in the gut, especially given her intent, but Sakuya managed a natural smile. He was so genuine when he was happy, it wasn't hard to soak up his positive energy. "You're so..." she left the thought hanging, there was no need for sentimentality. "Come on."

They continued, the only conversation being Adam asking where they were going, and if he was in trouble. While Sakuya reassured him he was fine, she wouldn't tell him the nature of her rescue.

Shortly, Sakuya had found an empty room she remembered cleaning before the sunrise. She peered down either end of the halls, making sure they were empty before opening the door, ushering the confused Adam inside. Carefully, Sakuya closed the door behind her, her heart throbbing as she ran through the possible scenarios in her head.

Adam's worries were visible on his face. After everything that had been going on, he had every reason to. So many mistakes he made, disappointing everyone, the embarrassing talk about whatever was under Sakuya's skirt -that one was especially bad-. "I did something, didn't I?" he asked, his voice sounding neutered and quite guilty.

Sakuya felt a rising lump, but quickly swallowed it, moving to take a seat on the guest bed. "Yes and no," she answered cryptically. "Look, I don't know if I was clear before, but it's been pointed out to me that you're still..." she grasped for a word, looking at the homonculus for some kind of clue. He looked like a kicked puppy and she hadn't been able to actually tell him what was wrong. "Adam, how do you feel about me?"

Adam's confusion was evident, and the anxious panic that slowly filled him was clear. It was hard, he didn't understand at all and she had to go through this again. "I like you," his voice was the definition of lost, so worried about what he'd done to upset Sakuya that his mind was in a flurry. "Is this about Koakuma? I'm sorry I-"

"Th-that's not it," Sakuya interrupted, holding up a hand to silence the panicking homonculus. It really sounded like he was going to cry, was he really so scared of upsetting her again? "Look, it's no secret that you care about me."

"Of course I do," Adam interjected. "Why wouldn't I? When I first came here you were there, you were there to help me when I needed it. You were around even more than mama was!"

"Adam-"

"What did I do?" he croaked, his panic flying out of control, "I'm trying my best! I don't know what happened when I attacked Koakuma, I don't know why I've been feeling wrong, but I'm trying! I just don't know, okay?! I'm trying! Please don't be mad at me! Don't leave me like mama did!"

"Adam!" Sakuya snapped. "Please calm down!" He jumped at the sound of her voice, she could see his eyes had a bit of a glisten to them. Please don't cry, Sakuya wasn't sure if she could handle that. "You're not in trouble, I know you're trying," her voice cracked on that last syllable. "Look, just calm down-"

"How can I calm down?!" Adam snapped. "You won't tell me why we're here, nobody tells me anything! I didn't even know-!"

"Adam please just listen to me!" Sakuya shouted, her voice barely managing to overpower Adam's frantic shouts.

To his credit, Adam fell silent. His breathing was ragged, and Sakuya swore she could see his heart furiously beating in his chest.

"You always compliment me," Sakuya said, trying to keep her voice gentle as to not feed another panic, "you're always happy to sing my praises to others, you're almost whimsical when we're together alone," she glanced aside, "everyone thinks you have more than just a passing fancy for me." It took some effort, but she locked eyes with Adam. "Do you love me?"

"Like mama?" Adam asked, finally thinking he had found some firm ground with the situation. "I would say so," he admit.

"You don't sing Alice's praises like you do mine," Sakuya retorted. "How about... you were talking to yourself one day, it kind of sounded like arguing. You mentioned something about me kissing you," she explained. "Do you remember what I said?"

Adam stared at the floor, trying to remember. "You said... do not spoil what I have thinking of more?" he scratched his cheek, his words uncertain.

"That's close enough," Sakuya said. "Now do you understand why we're talking?"

The frown on his face grew, his teeth barely poking from his lips. "I think so..." he mumbled. "I talk about you too much?"

"That's... one way of looking at it," Sakuya answered. "It makes me happy you think so highly of me, but I don't think you need to tell everyone."

The homonculus nodded slowly, her words sinking in. "Okay," he said weakly. "You're not mad at me?"

A gentle smile found its way on the maid's face. "Of course not," she answered, rising to her feet. "You're very sweet, you're gentle, and you're always willing to try," she said, taking his hand. "I've grown to love you like I love the mistress, like my own family, but with the way things are neither of us should be considering something more than that."

Adam really didn't know how to feel. A part of him wanted to get mad, but even if he wanted to, he didn't think he could ever be mad at Sakuya. She was kind to him, she always helped him, she was a part of his life. Out of everyone else, she was there for him when he needed it. Not even his own mother did that, not Patchouli, certainly not Remilia, and Koishi -he was sure- enjoyed teasing him more than helping him.

Another part of him was hopeful. Maybe he could do something, change things, make it so things _were_ different and then maybe they could-... that wasn't how it worked, and the homonculus had to admonish himself for even getting that far into the thought. He knew how things were supposed to be. Everyone else called the shots, he obeyed. He had no choice, he couldn't change anything even if he wanted to.

Again, he was reminded that this wasn't the kind of life he wanted, and the more he thought about it, the more it dawned on him that he'll never be able to just suck it up and make the most of it, not when it keeps him from getting any closer to the only person who's always been there for him.

All these thoughts happened in the span of a few seconds, and Sakuya could see the whirlwind of emotion in Adam's milky eyes. She saw the frustration, she saw the hope, and she saw the morose expression he settled on. She told Patchouli she couldn't, but she was doing it anyway. He was too special to her, too young, he never should have been part of any of Remilia and Patchouli's cruel schemes.

Without thinking of an actual reason, Sakuya pulled Adam into a gentle embrace. "I'm sorry," was all she could say, "I wish I could help you through this." Adam's silence was condemning to her, a quiet resignation to the status quo. She could already hear a little voice in her head screaming at her to do something to cheer him up, be it more kind words, a compromise, anything to get the shimmer back in his eyes. Then she could hear Patchouli's voice, telling her that this was the way it had to be, everything about Adam were traits of a slave, that he shouldn't expect to get what he wanted. She told the maid that he was dangerous, that he was a risk.

The maid told the Patchouli in her head to shut it in the most spiteful way she knew how. Without warning, she cupped Adam's cheeks and pulled him into a hasty, last-second kiss. It wasn't what she expected. Adam's lips were hard, it was like kissing a man's calloused palm, it was rough yet there was a certain thrill to it all. She'd never done anything like this, and she was certain she'd never do anything like it again. She felt young, she felt stupid, she felt passionate.

When she pulled away and saw the look in Adam's eyes, all she felt was stupid. "If things were different," Sakuya released his cheeks, "if things were different I would have loved to."

The homonculus opened his mouth to retort, "I-"

"If things were different, I'm sure we could have at least kept it secret, if I was a better liar, if the mistress was half as observant as she is," Sakuya let out a sigh, "I wish Patchouli didn't force this on me."

Adam nodded, trying to understand from her perspective. He knew she was just trying to cheer him up, and as amazing as her lips felt, he knew it would never be like how he once dared to imagine in his free time. He was just a child, as big as he was, she was an adult. If anyone was foolish, it was him. Foolish for thinking, foolish for dreaming, foolish for thinking he was doing a good job hiding it.

He could already hear Remilia calling him a stupid lizard again.

"We should... move on," Adam said, startling himself with how _not_ composed his voice was. He sounded pathetic. "If we dwell for too long, everyone might..."

Sakuya found herself nodding, "y-yeah, we should get going. I just want you to understand I'll always be your friend, and I'll always be there to help you."

In spite of how worthless those words were to Adam right now, it made the feeling of his heart turning to stone hurt a little less. "Thank you, Sakuya."

There was a pregnant silence, as it stood, both sides still seemed apprehensive. Sakuya tried to change the subject, get him thinking about someone else. "Can I... I need to ask you something."

Adam blinked, staring into Sakuya's eyes, unable to read them. "What is it?"

"You said you didn't want me to leave like... Alice," Sakuya answered, "did you want to talk about it?"

The frown that pulled on his lips, and the frustrated, yet somber look in his eyes told Sakuya he couldn't bring himself to answer. He didn't do any of his usual tells. Not scratching his cheek when he was confused, itching at his throat when he was nervous, the bouncing he did when he was excited or happy. He just stood there, staring at her helplessly. Unable to answer her, but incapable of outright saying he couldn't answer.

She waited, she wanted to see if he'd find the will to say something—anything, to show some initiative and make a choice, yet he stood there, forcing himself into a trap. "You can always talk to me, you know that, right?" Sakuya broke the silence, hoping it would get through to him, "I know it's hard to be ripped away from the only thing you know, forced to totally change your lifestyle and way of thinking, I know it can be done, however..." she trailed off, hoping Adam would say something.

"I am not sure I can," he said softly. He seemed to have surprised himself, the way he did a double-take at his own voice. He looked at Sakuya, and his claws made for his throat, giving it a quick scratch. "I want life to be quiet and simple," his hand moved from his throat to the back of his head, "it is hard to do that when everyone keeps getting involved in my problems. I just wanted an answer to a question, not to be interrogated and asked to fight someone I barely know."

Sakuya offered Adam her hand, he reached out to take it, but his hand fell as quickly as it rose. He stared at it, for a moment his expression hurt, but his face softened, and instead he simply looked disappointed. "I do not think we should do that," he croaked.

Sakuya felt like she had been stabbed, gutted, run-through, pierced and otherwise skewered. She was so used to him happily taking her hand, that it felt almost like a transgression for him to refuse. He had a perfectly good reason, and that might have just made the blow worse. Maybe she wasn't as honest with him as she thought she had been. "You're right," she tried her best not to let her voice falter, not in front of him, "we shouldn't really do that anymore." Sakuya let her hand drop to her side, still feeling the blade in her chest. "Should we go back?"

Adam stared at the ground for a moment, his gaze thoughtful. He had something to say, but wasn't entirely sure if he should. He glanced aside, staring at a candle. "I would like a moment to think," he answered, "tell them I do not wish to be disturbed."

Sakuya didn't protest, in fact she was quick to leave Adam to his thoughts. He was thankful for that, at the very least, he just wanted it to be quiet for the day. No more questions, no more him making horrible decisions. Beside himself, the homonculus moved to that candle he'd found so interesting, pinching the tip and putting it out. He liked the dark, he always felt safer. With the room dimmed, however, Adam noticed some light peaking from behind a curtain, he didn't notice this room had a window.

A peek outside was always nice, so he lethargically shuffled over and pulled it to the side, just enough to lock eyes with one of those crows that had been hanging around the mansion. He cocked his head, and the bird did the same. Carefully, he opened the window, and the bird remained. The homonculus reached out, and the bird hopped on to his forearm.

This was familiar.

"Tell your mistress I wish to have words," Adam told the crow, which only cawed in his face. "And pray this is not another mistake." A gloved hand hovered past Adam's shoulder, and the crow hopped onto the newcomer's offered forearm. The homonculus blinked, he was used to people sneaking up-

Adam whipped around, his eyes meeting that familiar, wise yellow. He just about jumped out of his skin. He expected Koishi, maybe Remilia, possibly Alice, not-

"Hello Adam," Yukari kissed her crow on the head, "I heard you wanted to have a chat."

Adam stared at the woman, utterly bewildered. He expected hours, maybe days. "I wanted your opinion on something."

Yukari couldn't help a snicker, "Reimu doesn't think I'm good at the whole advice thing, but I think I can help my big cuddly crocodile," she ruffled the homonculus' bald head, which earned an irritated growl. "Well, since all your troubles happen to be girl troubles, which one do you want to talk about?"

Adam felt his mind only on one thing as he stared at the youkai before him, casually smothering her crow in affection. The sight reminded Adam of when he was smaller. "How did you get here?"

Yukari gave him a queer look, the kind of look that people get when they ask a stupid question, her face immediately lit up, however. "Oh right!" she chirped, startling her crow, "I shouldn't expect you to know. Let's put it this way, I can do _anything_."

Adam shuddered at the inflection the woman's voice took.

"I can be wherever I want, I can be _whenever_ I want, I can hear whatever I want, and I can see whatever I want," the youkai concluded, giving the boggled homonculus one of her patented smiles. "Does that answer your question?"

It made Adam's head hurt thinking about it is what it did. "Not really," he answered frankly. It was good to be honest.

Yukari couldn't help a giggle, "well if I explain it any other way it would conflict with your sense of reality."

Adam was pretty sure that this was supposed to be pretty important, but Yukari was so casual about it he had a hard time accepting this explanation with the due gravity that was almost inferred.

The dazed look Adam was giving Yukari, in a rare moment for her, convinced her to go through the motions of thinking of another way to describe her abilities. "Well how about this," she raised her hand daintily, her index finger extended, giving off a trail of glittering stars. She drew four lines, lining them up in such a way as to make a square, but leaving just enough room to ensure the lines never connected. "See this box?" Yukari asked.

"I was told it is not a square if the lines don't touch," Adam said dumbly, still watching the lines in utter awe.

Yukari hummed and made a grabbing motion with her hand, making the pseudo square shrink, "now is it a square?"

Adam blinked, craning his head about as he inspected the glittering shape in front of him. The gaps seemed to have disappeared. "I think so."

"Yet when we expand the square for detail, we notice some gaps, don't we?" the woman punctuated by restoring the shape to its original size, gaps and all. "Now lets say everything has the same principle as this square. People, objects, place, _time_, everything and everyone has their gaps. Someone like me can take advantage of them," Yukari casually waved her hand under the square, which distorted and reformed, turning into a triangle.

Adam clapped his hands, bouncing in excitement. "That is incredible miss Yukari! I wish I could do things like that!"

"You're too kind," Yukari said dismissively, waving away the stars into nothingness, "it's just natural ability, I assure you. Now enough about how amazing I am, let's talk about your lady troubles."

Adam felt a heat in his cheeks, but tried to not give it the acknowledgment it seemed to be craving. "I do not understand what that means, but..." a weight founds its way on to Adam's shoulders, forcing him into a small slump, "Sakuya-"

Yukari pulled Adam into her ample chest, wrapping her arms around his head. "Oh I know it's hard to get over your first crush, especially when you've been that first crush as many times as I have. Men from all over the world still weep, believe you me."

"This crush stuff is stupid," Adam whined bitterly, somewhat muffled by Yukari's bosom. "I don't wanna like anyone like I did Sakuya, not when it feels this bad afterwards."

"That's just a part of life, honey. You can't win them all, especially if you plan living as long as me," Yukari responded, giving Adam's bald head a pat. "She still wants to be your friend, so it's up to you whether you want to talk to her."

"It just makes me want to leave."

A thoughtful frown formed on Yukari's face. It was certainly a chance to take what was rightfully hers, even if he wasn't what she originally wanted. How could she turn down the heartbroken little guy? "I can take you with me, to the home you were supposed to have."

Adam blinked, trying to pull away, but Yukari's grip was firm. He shuffled a bit, managing to angle his head up just enough for him to make eye contact. "What do you mean?" he asked.

The woman let out a sigh, "I can't remember if I told you, but I'm the one that brought you here, the real you."

Adam felt like he was missing some critical context, but remained silent, soaking in Yukari's words as he worked out a plan to get out of her grip without upsetting her.

"You were a typical male—powerful, proud, and you took great pleasure in culling humans. I'd go as far as saying you were pretty human yourself, maybe that's why you were so charming, you certainly earned Ran's interest," Yukari continued.

"Why am I here, then, if you are the one responsible?" Adam asked.

"Because they took you before I could make my offer," the youkai said, her tone growing more irritated, "those little thieves stole you from me and warped you into something disgusting." Adam's neck started popping as Yukari's vice grip tightened, he felt like his head was about to pop. "I had half a mind to take you when I first visited, I had half a mind to send that little mansion into the screaming void and have the devil that lurks in it add them to his collection!"

A loud crack filled the room, and Yukari gasped, dropping the homonculus and letting him fall to the ground in a broken heap. Just when the youkai was about to do something, more cracks filled the air, and Adam let out a soft breath, "ouch."

"Sorry about that, I tend to break things when I'm upset," Yukari said, "especially when I even have to consider thinking about that beast."

"It is fine, I am used to it," Adam drolled, slowly climbing back to his feet. A lot of what Yukari was talking about held no real weight, but she was being truthful, that much was certain. She knew his dreams, she could tell him about his past, she could answer so many questions.

And living with her had to be better than staying here any longer.

"I would like to talk to mama first, to see what she thinks," Adam said, "I would like her to know where I'm going anyway."

The youkai let out a small, awkward cough, "I can't let you do that, Adam," she said lowly, "if you come with me, Alice won't be able to find us. My home is a well-kept secret for a reason."

That certainly made sense, even if it did put a damper on Adam's spirits. He'd never see his mother again, but nobody would be able to find him and try bringing him back. "Would I be able to say goodbye?"

"Of course."

Adam stared at the ground, his brow furrowed deeply. He still wanted Alice in his life, he couldn't just leave her. However, he was growing more and more miserable, he couldn't stay either. Miss Yukari was his best hope. "I will consider it, Miss Yukari."

The woman rolled her eyes, but nodded in understanding. "Of course you will, just be quick about it. Things are going to change around here, and not for the better," she warned. "I'll keep an ear out, okay?"

Adam nodded, "ok-" he blinked and she was gone. The homonculus let out an irritated snarl, first Koishi and now Yukari, he really hoped nobody else could do this. He found it quite rude.

* * *

_You know, it's good to be paranoid about life. The moment things start going right you can expect something to just collapse from under you. For example, Adam's maid fantasies, but let's be totally honest with ourselves for a moment: he's a crocodile monster, she was a maid, can I make it any more obvious?_

_Yes I set this all up because I wanted to break his heart. We all need a good heartbreak._

_Two chapters left._

_Hype._


	20. One Last Moment Together

_Thank you for reading this far, I really don't know what else to say._

* * *

"You want to tell me what that was all about?"

"He's just becoming troubled, Remilia. Sakuya's always been the best-equipped to help him," Patchouli answered, summoning her quill and notepad. "He trusts her more than any of us."

Remilia just looked as annoyed as ever. She'd been fighting for his attention and every time she managed to get it fate would distract him with petty problems. She should have just told him he was in love with her and that was why he was feeling funny. It might have worked. "They're taking an awfully long time," the Scarlet Devil noted.

"It's a sensitive subject," the magician answered, exchanging a concerned look with Alice, "I'm sure they'll finish up soon."

As if on cue, Sakuya returned, looking more than just vexed. Saying she was the picture of distressed was a bit of an understatement, but Patchouli couldn't think of a simile before someone started talking.

Of course, everyone had the same thought, "where's Adam?" Alice just beat them to the punch.

"He wishes to keep to himself for a while," Sakuya said weakly, "the good news is it's done, I don't think he'll be troubled anymore." The maid hazarded a peak at Patchouli, whose look of approval made her feel sick.

Alice imagined a lot of ways this could have ended, one way being her brokenhearted boy going on a rampage, so this wasn't the worst thing to happen. She wanted to be there for him, but she knew for some things you need a bit of time alone, and this was one of those times.

Maybe next time she could bring Shanghai to cheer him up. The doll refused to leave the house before, but maybe if she explained what was happening, Shanghai would change her mind. Adam would certainly be happy to see his sister again.

Remilia's frustrated groan tore everyone away from their musings. "It's always gotta be something," the vampire whined. "Whatever! He can go stew in his problems and drown in them for all I care!"

"I will try talking to him the next time I see him," Patchouli said to nobody in particular, merely announcing her intentions, "I need his help with something anyway. Honestly I should have just dealt with it weeks ago."

Remilia snorted in amusement, "how are you going to do it this time?"

"I think I'll just blow her up this time," Patchouli retorted frankly.

"Wait, is that what you meant by cutting your losses? Why do you have to blow her up?!" Alice shouted, on the verge of freaking out, "I know she got into trouble with Adam but-"

"Oh please," Remilia said with a dismissive wave, "this is hardly the first Koakuma we've gone through."

The Romanian's oncoming tirade was caught in her throat, "excuse me?"

"Oh we go through them every couple of years," Patchouli clarified, "you really think I'd allow such a little troublemaker to keep operating? I'm a magician, not a masochist. No we'll blow her up and replace her with another Koakuma."

"So when she outstays her welcome you just dispose of her like trash?!" Alice shrieked, utterly apoplectic, "what's going to happen to my baby then?! You gonna throw him away too?! I'm not making another for you!"

"I have no intention of letting that hunk go," Remilia answered cheekily, "I don't think he'll get boring until after the first few centuries, but he's a quick study, we can teach him to be a little more _flexible_."

"Disregarding that, I would never dream of getting rid of Adam, he's far too valuable to me academically," Patchouli said in a matter-of-fact tone.

"I knew you cared," the Scarlet Devil teased.

"Hush you."

Such reassurances did little to comfort Alice. Odds are, Patchouli would just obsess and study over Adam until she figured out how to make another like him, then she'd... it was hard to fathom, given his makeup. How do you kill one who is beyond death?

Way to ham that up, Alice.

"I am under the impression I came back too soon."

Alice whipped around, staring into Adam's broad, scaly chest. Her heart sang as her eyes came to his face, he looked remarkably less upset than she thought he'd be. "Are you okay, honey?" she asked, her mouth outrunning her brain.

Adam's thoughtful expression softened for a moment, before hardening once more. "I got over it," he said in a tone that mirrored Patchouli's. "I will let Patchouli know if that surreal feeling returns to me," his eyes drifted to the pale magician, "without all the prodding this time, please."

The Romanian couldn't help noting Adam's tone. He seemed unnecessarily cold. She exchanged a look with Patchouli, who quirked a curious brow as Adam strode past them.

"To retort," Remilia said, her wings folding and her talons resting on her shoulders, "you're never too early. In fact you have a habit of being fashionably late."

Adam furrowed his brow, his lips parting to form a question, but he quickly swallowed the words. "I see," was all he chose to offer her, "so long as it remains positive then."

This time Patchouli exchanged a worried look with Alice.

Adam offered the Scarlet Devil his hand. For a moment, her composure broke, displaying just how surprised she was, but she recovered like only a master could. Gingerly, she took his hand, and the homonculus hoisted her off of her feet, lifting on to her his shoulder. "I'm feeling hungry again," Adam intoned, "do we serve second breakfast?"

Remilia looked rather smug as she deferred to Sakuya, "do we?"

"It can certainly be arranged," Sakuya said as Adam purposefully strode past her.

"Wonderful!" the vampire chirped, "to the dining hall then!"

"I would prefer a more private arrangement, I grow weary of all this company," Adam responded as the two rounded a corner.

"Oh you're spoiling me~!" Remilia chimed gleefully, "I should have had Sakuya talk to you sooner!"

On that note, Alice and Patchouli both looked at Sakuya, who was looking quite disheveled.

The maid found her eyes on the floor, a familiar stabbing sensation working its way into her chest. "He didn't even look at me."

"I was worried when you said you wouldn't break his heart, but from where I'm standing it looks like you did," Patchouli said approvingly, "I'm proud of you, Sakuya, you saw reason in the end."

"Shouldn't we be worried about this sudden change in character?" Alice asked, "he's detested Remilia up until now-"

"Everything is as it should be for a smooth future," Patchouli retorted, "let's count our blessings he's not having another violent tantrum and leave it at that."

"I knew he'd be upset, but I didn't think I'd be dead to him," Sakuya murmured to herself.

Alice made her way over to the distressed maid, "Sakuya, I'm sorry we forced this on you. Nobody could have predicted his reaction."

"I should have," Sakuya retorted bitterly, "we've known each other before he could complete his sentences, I've been there to watch him grow up. I should have been more firm, I shouldn't have expected one talk to work on him."

Alice's frown grew as she listened on, trying to figure out something to say. While it peeved the Romanian to hear it, she knew it was true. Sakuya was there to support Adam when he needed it, while Alice herself merely...

The girl left the thought hanging, trying to refocus. "Just give him time, the wounds are still fresh. I'm sure he'll be back to normal."

"I'll have to contest that," Patchouli chimed in, "I for one hope he remains as-is. It's a marginal improvement, plus I haven't heard Remilia talk so whimsically since she lured her last victim to her bed."

Alice shuddered, "I didn't need that image in my head."

"All we can do now is wait and observe," Patchouli concluded, "we'll be in touch."

Alice blinked, "o-oh, that's my cue to go..." her face was the picture of disappointment, "I was hoping to spend the day with him."

"I don't think he's going to want to spend the day with anyone," Patchouli responded, "I understand, but we need to tread carefully. We don't know what will happen with Adam moving forward."

=][=

Remilia should have had Sakuya piss off Adam a long time ago.

Sure she'd have to work off the excess fat after this second breakfast, but it was worth it to finally get some more alone time with Adam. Maybe this time things would go much more smoothly.

"So what did Patchouli have you do?" Remilia asked, swirling a cup of wine in her hand.

Adam's eyes had been narrow since he sat down, his brow furrowed and thoughtful. He looked frustrated, bitter, and exhausted. "I was prodded," he said, "I was asked to... look at Meiling and let Patchouli know if I felt anything."

The Scarlet Devil snorted loudly, wine leaking out of her nose. As she tried to smother her giggles, she forced the table-cloth to her face.

"Then I had to fight her, because..." the homonculus paused as Remilia blew into the cloth, "because it was ordained, I cannot really remember," he concluded nonchalantly. "You observed the rest."

"What about that talk with Sakuya?" Remilia prodded, "what was so important you two needed to speak privately?"

Adam closed his eyes, sucking in a breath, "I was made to realize how foolish I had been for some time now," he answered, "I have finally come to understand that no matter how hard you try, misery will always find you."

Her nose cleaned, the Scarlet Devil could let out a derisive huff in retort, "life isn't that bad, just look at mine. I have everything I want and more, kind of shoots a hole in your theory there."

Adam felt something welling within his chest. It felt like a lump, a sour lump that threatened to explode out of him and maul the runt in front of him. However, the homonculus quickly stowed away the feeling, letting it fester inside of his heart. _Life's will is to make us suffer_, he told himself, _she will get hers_.

"That aside, starting now, I'm making an effort to improve your lease on life," Remilia began, taking a sip of her wine. "I know our relationship is strained, and I think now is a better time than ever to build a stronger foundation between us."

Adam wasn't in the mood for improving his life here, he wanted to leave. He just needed to ask miss Yukari if she could take him to his mother for his goodbyes. He heard Remilia clear her throat impatiently, and Adam blinked in realization, "forgive me, my mind wanders," he drolled, "what would you have me do, mistress?"

"Oh it's not what you'll do, it's what I'm going to do," Remilia responded, "all good things come in time, Adam, and you will soon get what you've long deserved."

_Sakuya and my own home_, Adam thought sardonically, "I look forward to it."

"I've been looking forward to it for some time now," the vampire responded, giving her lips a lick, "it already feels like it's been too long."

Adam decided to not press that line of questioning that opened up, so he spent his time watching Remilia drink her wine, waiting for his second breakfast to come through the door. He had her measured movements memorized, and the longer he watched her the more he could relay every delicate detail to a stranger.

Finally, a hot plate of lightly charred koi was presented to Adam. His jaws started to protrude as his nostrils imbibed in the salty scent of cooked meat, his stomach churning and readying itself for a hearty meal.

He dove in, as always, tearing into his food like a predator. He picked up the plate and kept it against his face, his sharp plate-like teeth shearing the fish and the greenery that was placed solely for decoration. The nearby fairy maids whispered to each other, unnerved by the usually cold Adam behaving in such a slovenly manner. The whiplash was palpable.

Remilia watched, a smug satisfaction on her face. She remembered something her mother told her: "if not through the heart, then the keys to a man's devotion can be gained through his stomach." She never really tested the observation, but when Adam ate, she felt she was back in control. While the obsidian beast wasn't unruly, she could not control him. Not like Flandre, or Sakuya, or even Patchouli, he was far more independent, and that desire to live to his own whims was growing.

_That's fine though_, Remilia thought to herself smugly, _I like the challenge_. "Must you always make such a mess of yourself?" the Scarlet Devil teased, trying to work another conversation out of him.

Adam stopped and locked eyes with the vampire, letting out an aggressive snort as he lowered his plate. He blinked several times, like there was something in his eyes, "I-"

The chairs the two were sitting in, as well as the table shook violently, many of Remilia's wall decorum bouncing off of their holdings and crashing against the floor. The vampire let out an exasperated sigh, "Adam, I need you to go down to the library and help clean up. I won't hear the end of it otherwise."

Bitterly, Adam set down his plate, "I didn't even get seconds," he protested.

"I'll give you as much as you can stomach when you get back," Remilia responded, "just do this for me, I'll be sure to reward you after, alright?"

The politeness of her request almost floored him, but he knew it was primarily for Patchouli's sake. "There are many maids, are they not up to this? You could send Sakuya."

"Sakuya will help me clean up here and the other maids are to tend to any other messes Patchouli's made," Remilia retorted, "plus she's your mother, it's only natural you help her."

Adam stared at Remilia, more of a glare, but hardly venomous. He knew no amount of poison would sway her, and quickly came to realize his foolishness in trying to. He rose and made for the exit, but not before offering the nervous maids behind him a hiss to keep them quaking.

He always enjoyed their fear.

=][=

Patchouli wished she had done this sooner, the catharsis she was currently feeling certainly would have made up for recent stresses.

She stared into the smoldering pit of her own design, kicking up a cloud of soot with her foot. She waited patiently, sipping her tea, her eyes keenly trained on the ash. She did this for several minutes, her face the picture of expectant. Her lips curled into a smirk the more time passed, when nothing happened.

"Excellent," she finished off her cup before tossing it into the crater, "now then, for your replacement." She snapped her fingers twice and from above a scroll descended down and into Patchouli's waiting hand. With a flick of the wrist a small pair of reading glasses had materialized and affixed themselves upon her face. The magician opened the scroll and gave the faded text a cursory examination, "barely legible," she squinted, "I need to re-print this."

The magician waved her hand as she muttered the instructions, five sticks of chalk materializing and setting about their work in the crater where Koakuma happened to accidentally mix two very volatile components.

A terrible accident.

As the chalk drew their circles, Patchouli willed the necessary components to her waiting table. Just the usual stuff, pretty pedestrian. A lock of hair from the unfortunately deceased Koakuma -may she rest in pieces-, a fresh human scalp, a full set of bat teeth, exactly two tablespoons of sugar, and a lawn gnome she bought from Kourin-

Patchouli blinked as the gnome set itself on the table, "oh, right I remember why I bought you," she waved her hand and the gnome floated off, "your time hasn't come yet. Now what was..." she scanned the scroll once more for good measure, "oh yes, fluids. How apropos." She snapped her fingers once, and a jar filled with fluids floated down from above, "thankfully I always keep some in advance.

Patchouli made her way over to the now complete summoning circle, ingredients following shortly thereafter. "Now for the fun part," she raised her hand daintily and pointed at the crater. First the fluids jar poured its contents into the crater. Then the scalp hurled itself into the ashen puddle. The two tablespoons of sugar, exactly two, were then poured into the concoction and began to stir it. The bat teeth soon joined in, and Patchouli personally dropped the single hair into the mix as the binding agent.

Now all that was left was the sacred incantation. Patchouli took a moment to clear her throat before speaking, "single magician seeking young and eager demon for menial labor. You will be provided with your uniform. Benefits are free medical, board, and you will be fed three full meals a day," Patchouli paused and watched as the concoction began to glow, several hands beginning to rise from the twisted mess, "you will also be expected to take medication as prescribed unless you want to risk copulating with an over-sized reptile."

At this news half of the hands retreated, earning a sigh from Patchouli. "Applicants must also be female," she continued, forcing another two-thirds of the hands to retreat and leaving only two remaining. "Your bust cannot be larger than mine," she let out a snarl when both hands retreated, "never mind that last part."

Much to Patchouli's chagrin, only one hand returned. "Alright, come on up." The filthy black pool lurched and bubbled, belching out -as to Patchouli's specifications- a naked demoness. The girl rose from the muck and stretched, giving her four wings a good flap before striding out of the mess. "Greetings mistress," the girl said curtly. Patchouli adjusted her glasses and gave her summon a quick inspection. Fair features, short red hair, two pairs of wings, an irritatingly large bust, childbearing hips...

Overall, it was what she ordered. "Introduce yourself," Patchouli ordered as she turned on her heels.

The fresh summon started wiping the ashen grime off of her remarkably pale skin. After more or less cleaning up she offered Patchouli a bow, "my last summoner addressed me as Victoria. I have agreed to the terms of your contract and am ready to begin upon your decree. What is my first task?"

"I already like you," Patchouli said, "let's get you your uniform and we'll go over the finer details of your responsibilities." The magician conjured a small pouch and gave it to the demoness, "you will keep this on your person at all times, and you will take a pill every two hours. I will refill it daily, understood?"

The girl nodded, opening the pouch and popping one right away. "Of course, mistress."

"Patchouli will suffice. You will be addressed as Koakuma," the magician retorted, waving her hand and conjuring a folded set of clothes, "this will be your uniform, and-"

The doors to the library rattled. They were then pounded on rather violently. The magician tried to hurry over, "hold on I locked the-!" the doors were promptly kicked down my the temperamental lizard that Patchouli knew too well, "why do I even bother?" she grumbled, looking at Adam, "have you no patience?"

"The mansion quakes and the doors are locked, I assumed the worst," Adam retorted flatly, "pardon me for being concerned."

"Your concern is appreciated," Patchouli said in a similar tone. "I'm actually glad you're here," the magician stepped aside and motioned to her new familiar, "I'd like to present Koakuma, she'll be staying with us from now on."

Adam's eyes remained on Patchouli, the look on his face incredulous, "when did you suddenly get memory problems?"

Patchouli moved to slap him, but realized she'd hurt herself more than him. "You, shut up," she hissed.

"Who's this handsome guy?"

Adam turned to retort, but he lost the words when he got a look at exactly who he was talking to. Less than a few meters away from him was a woman with red hair, a set of folded clothes tucked under her arm. The homonculus blinked, looking at Patchouli and pointing at the newcomer. The magician nodded, and Adam decided to address her. "I am Adam," he greeted, dipping his head, but just a tad.

"Koakuma," she said almost shyly, offering the homonculus an equally shy wave. "A pleasure to meet you."

Adam looked floored in all but posture. His stance wavered, and his eyes almost looked hysterical. The homonculus glanced aside, letting out a deep breath before returning his gaze to the woman. This was not Koakuma. She was decidedly taller, and it looked like she lobbed all her hair off -assuming this was the same Koakuma-. He advanced on her, which made "Koakuma" stiffen defensively. Adam rounded behind her, craning his head and sniffing her hair. She giggled as he let out a puff of air against the nape of her neck before withdrawing. "You smell different," he observed.

"What am I supposed to smell like?" Koakuma asked, unable to hide the amused smile.

Adam opened his mouth, and Patchouli coughed roughly. That manic confusion returned in his eyes as he stared at Patchouli, then his yellow gaze drifted to Koakuma, and back to Patchouli. She did something, she always does something. "I am not sure," he lied, taking a few steps away and offering a deeper, more polite bow, "forgive my brazenness, I mistook you for someone else."

The devil waved it off, "it's not the first time that's happened."

Patchouli meanwhile could only chew on her cheek as the two conversed. The moment he got the chance, he'd come interrogate her, that look in his eyes made him look more than just angry. He almost looked betrayed, like he was personally offended.

Adam gave Koakuma a once over, and she helpfully did a flourish so he got the full view. He hunched and scratched his throat when he finally came to a realization. "Forgive my gaze," he said lowly, averting his eyes.

The devil let out an amused snort, "you're not the first, young man, you won't be the last," she pat the beast on the head for good measure, "plus you're in the buff as well, so as far as I'm concerned we're even."

Adam peered into Koakuma's gaze at the news. He certainly hadn't thought of that. "Oh," he offered dumbly.

Koakuma snickered, "you're just too cute."

The homonculus scratched his cheek. It was surreal thinking of this woman as Koakuma. She was taller, she was nicer, she smelled different, and her chest was almost as big as miss Yukari's. Where did she come from? Where did Patchouli-

The homonculus found himself leering at the pale magician once more, who took a step back despite herself. Adam suppressed the rising hiss trying to escape his throat. "I ask for your forgiveness, Koakuma, I must excuse myself and Patchouli. We have something to discuss."

If Patchouli looked any more guilty she'd be in chains.

"You're excused, young master," Koakuma gave him another warm smile, which made Adam's chest flutter. She was really nice. However, as he turned away, a frown formed on his face. Sakuya was nice to him too, and he was just bothering her.

Adam was on the magician in a moment, and their dialogue was hushed, yet harsh. Koakuma could make some of it out, particularly what Adam had to say. Something along the lines of "you will answer my questions, now". The devil couldn't help but feel charmed by the black beast. So polite, so intense, so innocent. Seldom was a person who was all of those things. She let out a sigh as she started slipping into her new uniform, "what a nice boy."

The pale magician found herself backed into a corner faster than she was used to. Normally she had something to say to make the threat veer off course, or cast a spell, or _something_. Under the critical gaze of Alice's immortal monster, she couldn't think of anything.

"What happened to her?" Adam asked, his voice decidedly anxious, "you will tell me what you did to Koakuma."

Patchouli's first instinct was to lie, but she knew that Adam deserved to know. She didn't need him thinking that this was the future he had in store for himself. "Look, every couple of years my familiars start getting more disobedient and outstay their welcome. So I save myself, and everyone else the stress and get rid of them."

"Why?" Adam asked, "she did nothing-"

"Yes, she did. The accident you brought upon her was just a swift dose of karma as far as we're concerned. She was dodging the supplements she was required to take, eventually the rest of us would have been effected if you hadn't been," Patchouli responded in a matter-of-fact tone.

Adam let out a breath, his eyes narrowing, "then what of me?" he finally asked, "is this supposed to be my fate? When you all are through I am to just... I will be replaced?"

Patchouli shook her head, "you will not. Do you know why we've been having such a hard time with you? Why everyone is struggling to keep things the same, yet keep you out of trouble?" the magician asked, "because you are the first, and the only person who could let us replace you has made it abundantly clear that she will not make another like you. I even have a written note if you'd prefer visual confirmation."

The look on Adam's face was one of skepticism, but he didn't say anything. He just kept staring at Patchouli, waiting for her stern expression to crack, something to tell him he was being deceived.

There was nothing.

"This is frustrating," Adam finally admit with a sigh, "all I have come to know anymore is lies. Words no longer have meaning when you expect the opposite."

Patchouli chose her words carefully, "is this about Sakuya?"

Adam snorted bitterly, "this is not about the maid."

"Not on a first-name basis anymore?" Patchouli prodded.

"Is that not the outcome you wanted?" Adam retorted, "she did not even have the decency to tell me directly I was being a bother to her. Why must we nibble the edges, why can we not tear into the heart of it? If it was this big of a deal, why could I not just be told to leave her alone?!" the homonculus punched the wall just behind Patchouli, leaving a generous hole. "Am I not worth the honesty?"

"There are some truths to this world even I am not privy to, Adam. We all have our secrets, and Sakuya's personal feelings toward you were just as much of a problem," Patchouli answered, "sometimes we have to lie, because some people cannot handle it, or do not want to hear the truth. I expected you to be the former."

Adam found himself nodding, processing the explanation. "I wish everyone was as honest as you," he said.

"I wouldn't say that too soon, Adam," Patchouli responded.

"But you do not treat me like an infant and try to hide from an issue. When there is a problem you point it out, you explain things. I find myself wishing you spoke to me and not Sakuya," the homonculus concluded, "at least you treat me like everyone else."

"I have no reason to treat you special, or anyone else," Patchouli said flatly, "I treat you as I would any other guest."

Adam's thoughts hung on that word, "guest". It made him wonder. "Patchouli, if you found a way to control your own life, would you?"

The magician blinked, "I don't follow."

"If you were the master of your own fate, if you could finally choose," Adam elaborated, "would you?"

Patchouli frowned, she knew this discussion would come eventually, especially with Yukari's meddling. "Yukari has made you an offer, has she not?" the magician asked, earning a shallow nod. "Do what you want. Remilia needs a good slap in the face anyway, especially with how she's been acting since you got here."

Adam quirked a brow, "that's it?" he asked incredulously.

"Alice and I have discussed the possibility," Patchouli answered, "I told her it was a bad idea to sneak you out, but if Yukari does what she does best -which is whatever she wants- then Remilia can't do anything."

Adam frowned, "why is everyone scared of Yukari? I think she is nice."

"Have you not been listening? She can do whatever she wants," Patchouli retorted, "but it's never good to speak of the devil. Just know that you have my blessing if you choose to leave, just make sure Flandre knows." Adam's visibly stiffening teased an amused huff from the magician. "What? You didn't think I'd find out about that?"

"Do not tell Remilia," Adam snarled.

"Once you leave, I'll be sure to, if only to make her scream," Patchouli retorted. "I'm actually proud of you, you've managed to fulfill your purpose despite the odds. I'd almost petition Yukari to take Flandre along as well if I knew she wouldn't mind leaving."

Adam frowned, feeling a tad guilty. He never thought about taking Flandre with him, he should have considered how this would have effected her to begin with. She was so happy when they met, how do you just part? "Should I try asking?"

"In spite of everything, Flandre wants a relationship with her sister," Patchouli answered. "If she went with Yukari, there'd be no hope of that."

"Who would want to stay around Remilia?" Adam asked bitterly.

The pale magician smirked, "she wasn't always as bad as she is now. She used to be quite charismatic. However, her growing obsession with her reputation has made her quite the brat. To answer, however, you will find that even the most venomous family members cannot keep each other out of their lives," Patchouli offered a small smile, "like us."

Adam could do nothing to hide his surprise, earning a frustrated blush from Patchouli, "if you tell anyone I said that," she said, "you'll wish you left with Yukari a lot sooner," she motioned for Adam to follow her, "now come on, we have a library to clean."

Adam felt a lot better now that Patchouli was her usual self again, "do you hold that sentiment only because I wish to take my leave?" he asked.

"Call it a byproduct of reflection and getting far too involved in your life," Patchouli answered, "plus as long as you have my genetics, I'll be keeping an eye on you. I don't need you making me look bad."

"You're so cute, mistress," floated in a familiar voice.

Patchouli's face warped to a new shade of red as she clenched her fist, the sleeves of her dress catching fire as she let out a terrible snarl, "_Koakuma!_"

The devil snickered, lifting off of the ground and floating behind Adam, "don't worry, I won't tell a soul about your bonding with your son."

"H-he's not my-! What are you doing here?!"

"I got bored," Koakuma said serenely, "I'm just all dressed and I couldn't wait to get someone's opinion," she put her finger on Adam's chin, leading his gaze to her, "how do I look?" she asked in a low tone of voice.

Adam's gaze went down before making its way back up, "very pretty," he answered nervously, "why does my opinion matter?"

"Because a woman always needs to know what her man thinks," Koakuma gave the homonculus a very sultry smile as he fumbled with his response.

Thankfully, Patchouli was quick to break up the madness, "alright you two, enough games! I want this library cleaned up right away!"

Adam was the first to hurry off, but for some reason Koakuma remained with Patchouli. The pale magician was starting to feel like she misjudged this new familiar, things seemed about the same.

"Hey mistress, about that medication," Koakuma began.

Patchouli stared at Koakuma, her eyes filled with death, "yeeesss?" she drawled, uncertain she wanted to hear whatever Koakuma had on her mind.

"Is it okay if I can skip out on them every once in a blue? I wouldn't mind him," the devil said with a waggle of her brow.

"_Koakuma!_"

=][=

He had been waiting all day for this.

The library had taken all day to clean, and Adam was rewarded with a hearty helping of fish, so hearty the maids were whispering there was no more to catch. Remilia threw a fit over it, however, Adam's thoughts were not on food, but elsewhere.

She was on his mind that evening, as he stuffed his face with raw fish. Her voice, her smile, her lips pressed against his...

Adam tried to hide the heating of his face by burying it in his food whenever he lingered too long on the thought. He was feeling that accursed sensation again, the one that made him feel weightless. He thought about telling someone, but he was starting to understand that nobody could be of help. The only person who could, was the one Adam suspected was the source of to begin with.

He really wanted to see her soon.

After dinner he couldn't stay still. He kept tossing in Remilia's bed, much to her annoyance. After she complained for him to sit still for the fifth time he got up and told her he was going to read. She handed him a copy of her favorite book and told him to go sit in a chair until he was ready to come back to bed.

Adam found the book quite entertaining. A man, betrayed by everyone he thought cared about him on a quest of bloody vengeance. It spoke to him on a deep level.

"_When you compare the sorrows of real life to the pleasures of the imaginary one, you will never want to live again, only to dream forever,_" Adam mumbled to himself, dragging his claw along the pages of the book. Immediately thoughts of Sakuya came to mind, as well as Alice. He quickly stowed them away. Such joys had passed him by, but he could certainly imagine escaping into a heaven-like dream.

He wondered if this would effect his next nap.

With such thoughts fresh in his mind, Adam gently closed the book, turning his head to the rather inviting sight of Remilia's plush bed. He was half tempted to just plop down and pass out, but the memory of a certain pair of lips convinced him otherwise.

He needed to kiss- _talk_, he needed to talk to her.

Confident after the first time went off without a fuss, Adam went through the same motions in taking his leave. He heard Remilia stir when he opened the door, but thought nothing of it, for as far as he could tell she was still asleep.

Adam was careful to close the door behind him, trying to make it as silent as possible. He waited several minutes when he closed the door, waiting for Remilia to come through on the off-chance he was wrong, thankfully she never came. Ever-more galvanized, Adam hurried off to the basement.

Was it safe to say he was excited?

The trip down was a blur of fuzzy feelings. He hadn't felt a mirth of quite this flavor before, not even mama's visits gave him the same sense of fulfillment. He barely knew the girl, he had no real reason to like her so much, yet she was so genuine, and they shared many of the same woes. It was only natural that they would grow close, right?

His hands were tingling when he made it to the door. Finally a respite, that dream he read about in that book Remilia offered him. It was standing right in front of him, all he need do is knock.

The homonculus sucked in a deep breath and moved to do just that, when the door swung open. A flash of red and yellow filled his eyes and he was knocked to the floor, a pair of small arms firmly wrapped around his abdomen.

Adam grunted in discomfort as a loud crack filled the air, and a sharp pain struck him. He looked down at the mortified Flandre Scarlet, who immediately jumped off of him. "I-I'm sorry! I didn't mean-!" she fell silent when Adam held up his hand and got to his feet. He felt his abused abdomen, feeling a rib floating around that shouldn't be there.

"This will be quick to recover from," Adam told her. He moved the broken rib back in place, another popping sound filling the air as his body righted itself before their eyes. With a hum of satisfaction, his gaze fell back on Flandre, "see? No harm done."

Flandre nodded furiously, her face growing hot. "C-come on in, before somebody hears us." She didn't give Adam the chance to do it himself, she snatched his hand and drug him in under her own power. He was more than compliant, he had no reason to refuse her. Flandre slammed the door shut the moment he was clear, going the extra mile and locking it.

"I wanted to speak to you about something," Adam said, taking a seat on Flandre's rug, "things have been quite chaotic since we last spoke."

Flandre paused mid-step, but quickly recomposed, "what is it?" she asked nervously.

Adam furrowed his brow as he mustered his memories. "After we spoke, and I went about my day, I felt this surreal, weightless feeling. I felt fulfilled, energetic but with no desire to do anything," he scratched his throat as he continued, "it was a long-lasting sensation, one I equate to happiness, and anxiety."

A pleasant chime filled the air.

"I am now under the suspicion that you were the cause," Adam said evenly, "you are making me feel these strange sensations."

Flandre felt her face reddening, her wings chiming in a wonderful song as the homonculus went on. "A-Adam?" she asked, "what if I told you I was going through something similar?"

The homonculus tilted his head, most curious. "Perhaps we can pool our knowledge and put a name to these feelings," he said, struck by a sudden onset of determination.

Flandre played with her ponytail shyly, keeping her eyes on the floor. "I've just been excited," she said, "every second felt like forever, I just couldn't wait for you to come back. I wanted to play, I wanted to dance, I wanted you to come back."

Adam nodded thoughtfully, "I also wanted to see you," he said, "you are honest, you understand, I feel comfortable in your presence."

Flandre scooted closer to Adam, letting out a shaky breath, "you shouldn't tell a girl that unless you can handle her response."

The homonculus frowned as Flandre closed in on him, "is that bad?"

The younger Scarlet crawled into Adam's lap, wrapping her arms around his neck, "girls are very impulsive," she told him, licking her lips, "and when you say the right things, we might just do something incredibly stupid," she sealed the statement by forcing the oblivious homonculus on his back, "it makes me want to kiss you."

Adam blinked twice before his eyes narrowed, and he rolled over with Flandre in tow, pinning her beneath him, "yes," he said flatly, the slightest trace of a snarl in his voice.

The vampire's wings kept chiming as they rose, coiling around Adam's biceps. Flandre felt the urge to squirm as she wrapped her fingers around her friend's thick forearms, "I-I mean it," she warned, her voice faltering, "if you don't stop me, I-I'll-..."

Adam let out a low hiss, his face agonizingly close to hers. "Yes."

Flandre's fingers dug into Adam's hide as her anxiety grew. "I love you," she breathed.

Adam's face remained neutral, and for a split second, the younger Scarlet feared the worst. "Yes," he said once more, closing the gap between their lips.

* * *

_The chapter was supposed to be a bit longer, but I should end it on a happy note._

_One more chapter everyone, I hope you're as excited as I am. I've never finished a fic until now._


	21. The Value of His Life

She should have seen this coming.

Remilia Scarlet should have known from the moment he asked about Flandre, she should have just nipped it in the bud right there. She thought she could just let him forget about it, she thought that if she just left well-enough alone and ignored him, he'd move on and accept that he'd never meet Flandre Scarlet.

Yet there he was, in Flandre's room, making her cry out for him and express her pathetic love. It absolutely infuriated her. He belonged to her, he was her slave, he even admit it himself. However, here he was betraying her by taking Flandre's heart. How long had they been seeing each other? Days? Weeks? Months? It did not matter, she needed to do something.

But how did Sakuya not notice? Hell, how did that stupid lizard go three hours without mentioning it to anyone? If they'd been doing this multiple times how did it not show-

She remembered Adam discussing his strange feelings that vaguely reminded Remilia of her first crush. She grit her teeth, reprimanding herself for how foolish she'd been. So woefully oblivious to what was going on. Flandre was stealing from her, like she always tried, she was trying to get back at her for taking Adam to begin with. The damn brat couldn't leave well-enough alone, she couldn't just accept who was in charge and fall in line like everyone else.

No, Flandre had to go behind her back and lure that big stupid oaf to her chambers, she had to trick him with slander regarding how much of a liar and an overall terrible person her older sister was, no doubt. Remilia had plans though, she was going to make it better!

It was too late now, Flandre struck first. What could she do? She couldn't control Adam like everyone else, and if he was in Flandre's life, Remilia could no longer moderate her sister like she could in the past. So long as Adam emulated Yukari and did as he pleased, Remilia could no longer control what absolutely must remain under her dominion.

He had to go.

No! No she didn't need to do that! She just needed to talk to him, explain-

Explain?! Flandre's been feeding him all manner of lies! Explaining will accomplish nothing! She's turned him!

Remilia shook her head, pressing it against the wall. This wasn't her, she had more tact than this. Talk to Sakuya, ask her what to-

There is not enough time! A decision has to be made! He needs to die!

But how? She'd run him through, he'd been nigh obliterated, he'd exploded from the inside out, he couldn't just die and get out of her hair for good.

Patchouli had to know how to kill him. She helped make him, surely if things went wrong, her and Alice had the foresight to create some kind of failsafe, an Achilles Heel they could call on if he became dangerous, right?

Why was she thinking about this? She could fix this without killing anyone. Give him back to Alice, he just didn't need to be here! He hated being here, it would make sense!

_So Flandre can run after him and leave you like the rest of your family?_

Remilia found all the reason she needed.

=][=

Life was cruel.

Life was suffering.

Yet, for this moment in the eternity that was Adam's allowance, life was everything and more. He never realized what he had lost until Flandre said those three words to him. The saying seemed to be true, you don't realize you have something until it's gone, but Adam had failed to realize he lost anything at all until he found it again. That feeling of being loved, the euphoria of holding someone in your arms, to be reminded that there is someone out there who loves you and needs you to be a part of their life.

Adam had thought he lost this someone. His own mother could not see him like she used to, Patchouli was far too distant, and Sakuya found him a nuisance. However, in the shower of Flandre's kisses Adam found the one who could be that person again, someone to give him that spark his life had lacked for so long. Someone he could be close to, someone he could let in.

And who better than Flandre Scarlet? Someone who had been abused just as much as he, who understood his plights and turmoil, someone who was honest with him above all else. He really felt like there were no secrets, he and Flandre could be an open book to each other, _as it should be_, he thought.

"I love you..."

Adam was brought out of his revere by the soft coo of the small vampire snuggled against his chest. His abdominal scales were wet from her tears, although as much as it broke his heart to see, he was told they were happy tears. He reached down and lifted Flandre's chin, peering into her red eyes. "They still bother me," he told her frankly.

Flandre pulled his hand away from her chin, clasping it tightly in hers, "I'll cry for real when you have to leave in the morning," she told him, "I don't want to go through the day without you."

Adam frowned, "I'm sorry," he offered plaintively, "if things could be different-" his voice hitched immediately, his heart twisting and wrenching itself at those familiar words.

_If things were different._

He had come to hate those words so much, and now he was so callously using them. He hugged the vampire close to his chest and he sucked in a shaky breath as his heart punished him for daring to say such a monstrous thing.

Flandre's hands found their way to Adam's cheeks, and her lips followed suit by giving him a gentle kiss. "I know," she said, "I know if you could do something you would, but I want you to know I'll never think less of you for being unable to."

The homonculus couldn't help kissing her back, "I wish I could accept that as easily as you."

The moment Flandre's lips were free she spoke, "I know this is happening so fast, but it feels so right," she said, kissing Adam once more, "and I'll get to feel this way forever."

"I don't want to go," Adam mumbled weakly.

"I'll see you tonight," Flandre said, standing up and hugging him close, pressing his ear against her beating heart, "I'll see you every night, okay?"

Adam let out a pathetic whimper, snuggling deeper into Flandre's chest.

He never wanted this to end, but life had other plans. He stayed in Flandre's arms as long as he could, even when she told him he had to go before everyone started waking up, he absolutely could not leave. For the first time in a long while, he wasn't worrying, he wasn't angry, he was so happy he never wanted to let it go.

Eventually, however, Flandre's begging managed to get through to him. Adam ever so hesitantly retreated from her. The vampire offered him one last parting kiss, "I love you, and I'll see you tonight, okay?"

Adam nodded as he forced himself to turn away, "and not a second later," he responded, unlocking Flandre's door. He looked over his shoulder, one last glance at happiness, "I'm happy I met you."

The vampire's wings chimed happily as she wiped her eyes with her blouse, "go, before I cry for real."

Adam nodded pathetically, stepping through the open doorway and closing it behind him. He lingered a moment, just enough to hear a sad sniffle from Flandre. He wanted to rush back in there, damn Remilia and damn everyone else, but he knew it was only a matter of time before he saw her again. He just needed to be patient-

Adam smacked the side of his head as he strode through the dark halls, he just remembered Yukari, he just remembered leaving. Now that he thought about it, though, he couldn't help noting how this recent visit changed things. What was more important? A better home or suffering this accursed mansion just to see Flandre every night?

He needed advice, perhaps it would be a good idea to ask Yukari herself, or Patchouli-

"You will not take her from me!"

The world went dark.

=][=

Patchouli never subscribed to the whole sleep thing the same way Alice did. When everyone went to bed, she remained up and about long into the morning either studying, taking notes, or making chocolate pudding.

She was under no obligation to tell anyone she knew how to make chocolate pudding.

So when the door to the library, the one she just had fixed, exploded in a violent shower of splinters, Patchouli cast an illusion over the pudding bowl, making it appear empty. "I just had that door fixed," she called over her shoulder, trying to sound irritated.

A weak grunt answered her first. Curious, Patchouli turned around, spotting Remilia dragging in the limp heap of Adam, Gungnir driven into his skull. Patchouli stared at the comatose homonculus, expecting him to get up, but he never did. "What did he do?"

The question flipped a switch on Remilia. "You should have heard them," she snarled, "slobbering all over each other like animals, it was sickening to hear, I couldn't stand to let him just take Flandre from me."

"Wait, they were..." Patchouli paused, staring at Adam, whose eyes were screwed shut. She couldn't imagine him kissing anyone, not with those teeth. "You're sure of this?"

"I'm pretty sure they weren't just having a nice, friendly dinner as they casually expressed their love as loudly as possible," Remilia retorted tartly.

The pale magician really couldn't believe the accusation. According to Sakuya, they'd only seen each other twice, thrice including tonight. Was that really enough time for a romance to blossom? Patchouli looked over her shoulder, spotting Koakuma reading a trashy romance novel.

Perhaps even the most horrid of fiction was based in such reality.

Still, it was quite a tall tale as far as the magician was concerned. Patchouli was under the impression Adam was more attracted to mature women. _Girls like Sakuya_, she thought sardonically. Flandre was childish, she didn't have a bust to speak of -given how Adam kept asking about Koakuma's-, and she certainly didn't have any motherly qualities to entice him with.

Freud would have a field-day with him.

Patchouli let out an exasperated sigh. She needed to hear this from the defendant before she made any judgements. "I'll talk to him-"

"No more talking!" the Scarlet Devil snapped, "I want him out! You will tell me how to kill this freak of nature!"

"Do you have any idea what you're saying?" Patchouli hissed, "do you forget who his mother is? I shouldn't have to remind you who she's friends with!"

Remilia clenched her teeth at the mere implication, "I will not have him endangering Flandre! You're going to help me get rid of him, Patchouli!"

"He's not just a toy, we can't throw him away like you keep doing to my doors!" Patchouli shouted back, "listen to yourself! Why can't we just give him back to Alice?"

"So long as he lives, Flandre will want to see him! I will not allow her to daydream about this reptilian demon! I will not allow her to value a filthy construct over real people!"

Patchouli felt a very angry lump rising in her throat, but swallowed it. "Before we continue, let me tell you this clearly, because it seems you forgot: Adam isn't capable of dying. The moment you pull Gungnir out of his head he'll be getting up and acting like nothing happened."

"You helped make him, you have to know something!" Remilia protested, jabbing Patcohuli in the chest with a sharp nail, "there has to be a way, you two didn't put in anything if he got out of control?"

"He met Flandre and they hit it off," Patchouli retorted flatly, returning the accusatory jab in earnest, "and as far as I can recall you never told him to avoid the basement," the Scarlet Devil visibly deflated, much to Patchouli's satisfaction, "and if you want to ask Alice if there's a way to kill her precious son," the pale magician continued, "by all means, I'd love to see what happens."

"You don't know?" the vampire hissed.

"I helped make him the same way you "_help_" Sakuya clean," Patchouli answered.

"Well as long as you live under my roof you're going to help me get rid of him!" Remilia snapped, "I don't know how he's poisoned you, but this ends now!"

Patchouli felt like a vessel in her head was about to pop. She pursed her lips, gathering her thoughts. Remilia was not going to shut up about this, that was for certain, and as it stood Adam had just conjured a storm that would only grow in ferocity until Flandre and Remilia inevitably came to blows.

Or worse, Reimu and Marisa would come kicking down their door at Alice's behest.

Reaching out to Yukari in light of all this would surely seal her own fate, and Patchouli very much enjoyed living. She had to think of an alternative, she had to find a way to convince Remilia he was effectively dead, but still have a shot at retrieving him in secret.

Such a place came to Patchouli's mind. It was risky, it relied on so many variables that she couldn't even fathom, but she was trapped, and this was her best shot.

"There is a place he can go," Patchouli said, her mind drifting to her first days in Gensokyo, "a place, they say, that none can return from once they fall. If we take him there, he will never trouble you again."

Remilia quirked a brow, but seemed satisfied with the idea, "tell me more," she ordered.

Patchouli glanced back at Adam's limp form. She wasn't even sure if the plan she had just formulated would work, but it was better than any alternative. "The Sanzu," the pale magician said, "drown him in the Sanzu, and I guarantee he will never emerge from the waves."

The magician hoped to heaven and hell she was wrong.

=][=

The trip to the Sanzu river was going great.

"I'm getting sick of this," Meiling snarled, "why am I the one who has to carry a giant lizard out into the freezing cold? When did I suddenly become everyone's errand girl? I thought that was what that brick wall Sakuya was for!"

Patchouli did her best to ignore the gatekeeper's whining, she tried to just focus on getting this grim task done, but that itself was so trivial she kept thinking about the whole mess they, along with Alice, had created. Just make Flandre a friend, hell, they did just that and that brat Remilia had to _screw it all up!_

Patchouli shook her head, trying to dismiss any undue feelings. There was far too little that could be done at this point. Just put him in the river, and then get him later when everything blows over. It was simple, it was easy.

Then why did it feel like this was a horrible mistake?

Barring Meiling's whining, the trip was silent, and Patchouli felt appropriately solemn. Every time she heard a bat screech, she knew Remilia was watching. She could barely make out the beady red eyes in the midst of the fog, darting through the trees and keenly observing to ensure Patchouli's task was being carried out.

After all, somebody with a reputation as wicked yet grandiose as hers wouldn't dare carry out her own dirty work. Yet, of course, she was so justifiably paranoid that she found herself needing to be present.

Which is precisely why Patchouli didn't indulge Meiling's whining.

When they cleared the unnaturally thick mist, Patchouli couldn't help turning on her heel and inspecting the edge of the imposing white wall. She almost jerked back when it visibly contorted in front of her. Mist doesn't do that, it doesn't move so fluidly, so organically.

She needed to speak to Marisa about this, she was more in tune with recent goings-on in Gensokyo.

Patchouli saw a familiar pair of red eyes sweep through the fog, and with nothing else to note for now -aside from her growing paranoia-, she turned and watched a little bat with a bow on its head flutter into the trees. She narrowed her eyes and turned around, barely catching a glimpse of those red eyes before they faded away. The pale magician felt a lump forming in her throat as she turned back to look at Remilia, whose eyes were decidedly _not_ bright enough to pierce the fog.

"Keep moving China," Patchouli said grimly.

The gatekeeper blinked, "excuse me?"

"I said move faster, we need to get this done."

As the duo plus luggage drew closer, sickly green shafts began to bloom between the trees, belying their sinister nature. The wood on the trees was now sickly and gray, and the leaves were dried out and lifeless. Strangely, not a single leaf littered the ground, like the trees were just alive enough to still bear them, but no more.

They came upon a fog, but this one was far more inviting than the mist that followed them doggedly. The green shafts were much brighter now, carving through the weakest layers of fog and dispersing it, however briefly. Patchouli and Meiling exchanged looks, exchanged a knowing nod, and then pressed forward through the sinister vapor, _this is it, _Patchouli thought, _we're here._

"By my ancestors!" Meiling gagged as they came upon the roaring river, "what is that _stench_?!"

The Sanzu river defied classification. At a glance it may have looked like a river, but once Patchouli got a good look she knew its contents was not water. She pulled out a handkerchief and held it over her nose as the rancid smell of decay hit her full-force. The rushing liquids carried with them an oily sheen and emit a sickly green glow, on occasion a bloated corpse could be seen briefly surfacing before raging spirits drug the body back down.

It seems Patchouli wasn't as original with her plan as she had thought.

"_Blegh_!" Meiling gagged again, "_this_ is the Sanzu?! I've never seen such a toxic place!" the gatekeeper set the sleeping Adam down to cover her mouth and nose with her arm, trying not to vomit.

"I didn't expect it to be so vile," Patchouli said from behind her handkerchief, "let's just toss him in and head home. I think I need a four-hour bath just standing near this place."

With as much fuss as possible, Meiling hoisted Adam back over her shoulder and followed Patchouli down to the riverbank. The soil was dusty and dried out, bones were sticking out of the ground, and all-around rotting algae and waterlogged corpses lined the riverside. The gatekeeper dropped Adam again just so she could double over and spew her breakfast.

Which, oddly enough, smelled much more pleasant.

"China, if you can do this I'll never ask you to do anything again," Patchouli said, keeping the vice of her handkerchief over her mouth and nose.

After she was done vomiting, Meiling put on a determined face and nodded. She turned to pick up Adam, and immediately reeled.

The beast had begun to stir.

"Cold..." the homonculus mumbled, groping the air as if in search of a blanket, "so cold..."

"Your charm's wearing off!" Meiling warned.

Patchouli sucked in a breath, stowing her handkerchief and rubbing her hands together as she hurried over, "not now, please not now!" she cried desperately, placing her hands on Adam's chest, which began to glow softly. "You're fine," she said softly, pressing her palms firmly against him, "you're warm."

Adam's stirring dulled, and his brow relaxed, "warm..." he murmured.

The pale magician let out a soft sigh, pulling her hands away, "like a bandage," she said to Meiling.

The chinawoman muttered to herself as she dropped to a knee to scoop the groggy homonculus into her arms. "I'm sorry I'm doing this," she said as she lifted him, "this is a despicable thing to do, I expect to hear about this when I'm judged."

Patchouli tensed as she watched Meiling stop at the waterline, trying to get a read on the gatekeeper's face. They stood for several minutes, and the magician was growing more anxious with every silent moment. He was waking up, just throw him!

Adam grumbled, his head rolling toward the waves of the Sanzu as his eyes began to part open. "What... is this...?"

"Death," Meiling answered.

She dropped Adam into the water, and watched as it visibly lurched, hundreds of hands erupting from beneath the waves and snatching the homonculus, dragging him beneath the waves before he had time to react to anything, much less wake up.

Her fists trembling, Meiling stalked away from the waters. "How many times have I sinned for you?" she demanded, "I force an innocent life into slavery, and now I condemn him to _this_ rancid hell. This is something monsters do, Patchouli!"

"We had no choice," the pale magician said, her voice barely audible, "we had to."

Out from the waves exploded a familiar obsidian hulk, enraged spirits clinging to him and struggling to weigh him down, screaming desperately as their efforts were ignored by the homonculus. The waves of the Sanzu began to roar and batter against him as he tried to return to the shoreline. He looked at the bewildered Patchouli, then Meiling, his face going from confusion to utter rage in one blink. The waters receded briefly, and for a moment the whole plan seemed to have failed.

The Sanzu lurched, and like a great predator swallowed Adam whole, forcing him back beneath the waves, plucked from this earth and drug down to a crushing darkness only the dead could describe.

Patchouli and Meiling stood by, half-expecting the black beast to rise once more. Seconds turned into minutes, and the minutes turned into an hour, with no sign of him rising prematurely. Patchouli, the picture of frustrated and regretful, lifted off of the ground. "Come on China," she growled, casting a venomous look at a familiar bat, "we're done here."

=][=

Alice woke up today feeling sick.

The whole morning she had felt wrong, her stomach kept twisting and her mind was in a flurry, worst of all she couldn't figure out why. Shanghai seemed less animated than usual, looking rather solemn.

"I was going to go see Adam today," Alice said, her voice cracking when she said his name. She cleared her throat, feeling a bit anxious, "did you want to come with me? He'd love to see you again."

Shanghai stared at the floor, thoughtful. "Forgot, most likely," she said quietly, "prefer to stay here."

"You sound like me," Alice huffed, "come on, it'll be good for you. I'm sure seeing your baby brother again will cheer you up!" she reached down and ruffled the doll's hair.

The little doll's frown remained, her gaze still locked on the floor. She looked hesitant, unwilling to speak her mind for what seemed like minutes. However, one look at Alice's face broke her resolve. "Okay..." she said quietly.

That sick feeling began to fade.

Together, Alice and Shanghai made a quick detour to the human village before heading for the Scarlet Mansion. Alice insisted on buying Adam a gift, but all Shanghai could do was wonder what he would do with a locket with nothing in it.

The doll found her foot in her mouth when she was immediately drug to a camera shop to get their picture taken. Then, with some patented magical trickery, the locket now had a picture of Alice and Shanghai.

"Oh he'll love it!" the Romanian cried excitedly, bouncing in place, "now he'll always have something to remind him of his family!"

Shanghai tried to look disinterested, but Alice's glee was somewhat infectious.

The time just kept flying by, Alice was so excited to see her child again. After the whole Sakuya incident, Shanghai's presence would certainly cheer him up.

Alice was somewhat shocked when she returned to the Scarlet Mansion, and that thick white fog was no longer occupying the area. It was clearly a blessing, as most of the plant life looked like it was starting to die. Just how long had that mist been there?

Stowing that thought away for the time being, Alice and Shanghai descended to the gates to greet Meiling, who was napping against the wall, as was the norm. Alice rolled her eyes, moving over and prodding the Chinawoman with a finger.

Meiling let out a loud snort as she was started awake, "h-huh?" she blinked a few times, her gaze falling on Alice. "Oh hey," she said groggily, her eyes drifting to Shanghai, who was floating around in the background, "I didn't know you had another kid."

"Oh this is Shanghai," Alice said, "Adam's big sister," she looked at the doll expectantly, "say hello to Meiling, she doesn't bite."

The doll waved shyly, "hello," she mumbled.

Meiling mumbled to herself, waving halfheartedly. "I'm sure Patchouli's expecting you after yesterday," she yawned and moved to open the gate, then she paused.

What did she do yesterday? Oh right.

"A-actually I just remembered something!" Meiling said as she clumsily held the gate shut, "Adam's been acting up again lately, he tried getting it on with Koakuma again!"

Alice frowned, rubbing her temples, "oh I knew this would come back up. I'll try talking to him, I want to nip this in the bud myself."

"That's not necessary!" Meiling said hastily, the old iron gates squealing loudly as the woman's tense grip began to warp the metal. "Sakuya's got it under control!"

The magician was starting to understand why she was feeling sick this morning. "I thought Adam was still upset with Sakuya," she countered.

The bars that Meiling was clinging to were snapped, and the gate rolled open on its own. "I-I mean Patchouli's dealing with it! Yeah she's got it covered, I'll let them know you stopped by!"

Alice sucked in a deep breath, her heart starting to race, "you will tell me what you did to my boy."

"I didn't do anything!" Meiling cried, "I just stand here and pretend to do my job!"

"Then let me see Adam," Alice snarled.

"I can't!"

The Romanian's hand went to her belt, and the black book clipped to it, "let me through," she said flatly, "now."

Meiling closed her eyes, "I can't."

Alice held her hand out, "then I'm going to do what I should have done to begin with."

Meiling opened one eye, and instantly regretting it the moment she locked eyes with Alice, "what's that?"

The wind fell silent, and the woman was hit by a powerful concussive blast, sending her flying off and crashing through the front door of the mansion. "I'm taking my son home," Alice answered. She peered over her shoulder, Shanghai was looking especially distressed, "stay close to me."

When Alice entered, she took an extra step and weaved an illusion spell over Meiling's mind. She didn't need the gatekeeper trying to stop her again, who knows how long it would take to find Adam and bring him home. Then she made course for the one person who knew where Adam was at all times: Patchouli. Some fairies flew past her and Shanghai, probably to investigate the disagreement at the front door, which meant that Sakuya would inevitably-

"Alice?"

The Romanian paused, her grip on her sealed book tightening and distressing the leather cover. "Sakuya," she said curtly, "how are you?"

"Fine," the maid answered in a similar tone, "I hope China didn't insult you too horribly."

"Where is Adam?" Alice asked, "why did Meiling want to keep me from seeing him?"

The maid paused, "he's with Remilia, they haven't even gotten out of bed yet."

"Check."

Sakuya nodded dutifully, Alice blinked, and the maid now wore a concerned frown. "He's not with Remilia," she noted, "I checked the rest of the mansion, I don't think he's here."

"Which is why I need to find Patchouli," Alice responded, "please let me know if you find him," she blinked again and Sakuya was gone. Did Adam get out again? Maybe that was what this was all about, they lost him and were panicking. Alice felt herself beginning to relax when she got to the library. "Don't touch anything, Shanghai, even if it is an ungodly mess. Patchouli's idea of neatness is organized chaos." She tried pushing open the door, but it was locked. "Patchouli!" she roared, "open the door!"

There was no response, so Alice did the next best thing. "I am not going to let anyone stop me!" she snapped, holding her hand out to the door. Within seconds the wood began to rot, drying out and breaking into dust. With another obstacle taken care of, Alice stomped into the library, spotting a familiar redhead. "Koakuma! Where's Patchouli?!"

"Oh she's taking a bath," the devil responded nonchalantly, pulling a few books from a shelf, "she should be back any-"

"What happened to my door?!"

Then Patchouli, clad in nothing but a bathrobe, stormed onto the scene. She gawked at Alice, "you of all people should know to knock!" she snapped. When Alice whipped around, the pale magician could see the hell in her eyes, making her step back. "A-Alice," she gasped, "look I know why, you're here, if you let me explain-"

"I just want the truth, Patchouli, where is Adam?" she asked, trying to keep herself calm, "look if he got out again I'll help find him, it's not the first time."

"He didn't get out," Patchouli responded, "we took him out."

Alice blinked, "what?"

"Remilia wanted him gone," the pale magician said, wringing her hands nervously, "I needed somewhere to hide him, but Remilia followed us the whole way so I had to make it convincing."

Alice felt her lips curl into a snarl. After everything he's been through, after all the turmoil and heartbreak, just like that he was to be disposed of like some worthless _trash_. "Where is my baby?" she asked through grit teeth.

"Don't panic, b-but we took him to the Sanzu. I know it's a risk but-" she froze when Alice unclipped the book hanging from her belt, "Alice we can still get him back. You know what he can go through," she took a step back when the Romanian opened the book, "he's still alive, I'm sure of it!"

"Y-you took him to the one place I'll never find him," Alice began, voice quavering as she held her grimoire in front of her.

"We can get that ferrywoman to help us! It's not the first time she's fished up someone out of pity!"

"Komachi helps those that are already dead!" the Romanian snapped, "Adam isn't dead, and he never will be!" her tears began to stain the pages, "the spirits of the Sanzu will hold him down in its blackest depths for eternity, and it's all because of you!"

Patchouli felt every muscle in her body clench painfully, her heart was struggling to beat, and her lungs refused to take more than short breaths. She tried to move, she felt so weak she had to sit down, but she remained rigid where she stood.

Alice, sorrowful and enraged, clenched the muscles in her hand and began to work her fingers like she was playing an organ. Patchouli, much to her horror, was forced to her knees. "I'm a failure," she muttered, "I grew to love him as my own child, but I tried to remember our deal, that he would make a little girl very happy. When it was deemed otherwise, I thought I could take him home."

Patchouli tried to retort, but her mouth was clenched shut. She managed to peer to the left, spotting Koakuma trying to sneak up on the Romanian. She looked back to Alice, whose puffy red eyes had followed the pale magician's gaze. Before Koakuma could even act, Alice made a yanking motion, and the devil was pulled by some unseen force in front of the grieving woman.

"T-two," Alice said, "there's enough b-bodies in this mansion," she was visibly failing to keep composed, "I-I could make a... there's enough to make another one," she let out a shaky breath, "I could have my baby back!"

A pair of small hands found their way on Alice's forearm. She gasped, staring down at Shanghai. "This is wrong," the doll said, a stern look on her face, "Adam wouldn't like seeing you this way."

"Adam didn't deserve the Sanzu!" Alice snapped, wrenching her arm away, "I will not allow this to go unanswered!"

"Please," Shanghai insisted, grabbing Alice's sleeve, "this won't bring him back."

Alice stared at the pathetic sight of the helpless Patchouli and Koakuma, "where is she?" the Romanian snarled, "where is Flandre?"

Before Patchouli could think of a response, she was forced to her feet with a mere gesture from Alice.

"You will take me to her."

=][=

Sakuya made her way back to the library, having unsuccessfully combed the surrounding woods for the wayward homonculus. She wanted to regroup with Alice and Patchouli and discuss organizing a hunt, but what she found in the library was a very disturbing thing.

New Koakuma was the only one in the library, on her hands and knees, her body trembling as she'd occasionally spit up blood.

The maid rushed to the devil's side, "what happened? Where is everyone?"

"A-Alice," Koakuma croaked, spitting up some more blood, "she has some sick magic in that book of hers! I still can't move the rest of my body!"

"Why would Alice do this? What happened?" Sakuya pressed.

"Remilia had Patchouli... I don't know it sounded like they drowned him in some place called the Sanzu," Koakuma answered.

She wasn't expecting that answer, and with everything going on she couldn't follow it. She took a few breaths and collected what frantic thoughts she could, trying to figure out what to do next. "Where is Alice and Patchouli?"

Koakuma spit out another bloody loogie, "she wants to see Flandre," she said, trying to get the taste out of her mouth.

"That's... that's really bad," Sakuya immediately winced at the gravity of her understatement. No this was horrible, this was the last thing anyone needed. If Flandre found out Adam was gone, at Remilia's behest no less...

Sakuya didn't think she could handle moving.

"I need to warn the mistress."

"Listen, Sakuya, I barely know anyone here, but I can tell you that this is going to be catastrophic no matter how you spin it. I knew the big guy was a ticking bomb the moment I noticed how Patchouli acts around him," Koakuma said, "there's a fear in everything she does, awkward and paranoid. He wasn't always so docile, was he?"

"He's had... moments," Sakuya said vaguely, "I need to go, will you be okay on your own?"

"Yeah, blood's stopped coming out. Filthy magic that girl has, old and evil, borderline necromancy," the devil let out a tired sigh, "I'll be okay, go play damage control."

Sakuya left Koakuma to her own devices, her thoughts lingering on that last comment. It made sense, she thought, Adam couldn't die because he was never alive to begin with. It certainly sounded like the best explanation.

However, as she willed time to a halt and raced for Remilia's room, she couldn't help feeling uncertain about it. Most undead weren't complex enough for the physical and emotional troubles Adam had been going through.

She shook her head, trying to dismiss any lingering thoughts of him. He was gone, for good, she needed to focus on figuring out what Alice was going to do when she got to Flandre, and make sure Remilia was safe above all-else.

Sakuya wasn't sure what to expect when she barged into Remilia's room, but she didn't expect the mistress to be dressed, absently peering out of the window. She _hated_ dressing herself, something was off. "M-my lady-!" Sakuya sputtered.

"Did you see that, Sakuya?" Remilia snickered, "Alice put that stupid redhead through the front door faster than I could blink. I wish I could go back in time and watch it again," the vampire let out a sigh, "oh, I need a drink."

"Mistress what is going on? Where's Adam?" Sakuya tried not to sound demanding, but she needed to hear it from Remilia herself. They'd been through so much, she had to hear a reason, there had to be something about this that wasn't hopelessly cruel.

Remilia waved her off, "he just needed to go," she said nonchalantly, "once Alice rubs two brain cells together she'll go home and sulk-"

"You know how I feel about interrupting, but she's going to see Flandre!"

Remilia grit her teeth so hard she chipped a fang.

Next thing Sakuya knew she was back to running through the mansion, desperately trying to keep up with the enraged vampire. "Mistress what is going on?" she called. She felt a mounting frustration when Remilia ignored her, rushing toward the basement. He could feel something twisting in her gut, similar to when Adam declined her hand.

The last she saw of him, he wouldn't even look at her. She'd never be able to reconcile, she'd never see him again...

_Not now, Sakuya,_ she told herself, blinking away the welling in her eyes, _this is not the time._

=][=

"This is it?" Alice gestured to the ornate door in front of her.

"Th-this is it," Patchouli said, spitting out some blood, "now free me from these sickening bonds! Such cruelty should be beyond you!"

"I should be telling you that!" the Romanian snapped, swinging her arm in Patchouli's direction. The pale magician was flung into the stone wall behind them, bouncing off and hitting the ground pathetically. Alice clenched her fist and brought it in front of her chest, and Patchouli was forced off of the ground, dragging herself back to Alice's side. "I want to speak to the only person involved who may be innocent in all of this."

Unlike her entrance to the library, Alice took the knob and pushed open the door to Flandre's room. She wasn't sure what to expect. A dungeon with chains and half-eaten corpses, a wreck that once could be described as a child's room, an empty purgatory even. After all the nasty things Remilia had regaled, she did not expect such a tidy room. She scanned the floor, scrutinizing the scraps of paper littering it, each with a unique drawing. Most of them were of a young blonde girl playing with animals, but then she saw a messy pile of drawings. One had that girl (presumably Flandre) with a looming black figure, another had that same figure with several hearts drawn around him, and one had Flandre kissing the black giant on the cheek.

If Alice had any suspicions that Flandre was involved in Adam's demise, they were effectively dashed by that drawing.

Then she saw the pile of chewed up bones. All things considered, it was hardly offensive, given Adam's appetite.

"Hello?" Alice called, "Flandre? Are you in here?"

"Y-yeah," a voice floated from behind a dresser. Carefully, a little blonde girl peered out, her ruby eyes locked with Alice's, "who are you?"

She looked terrified. Alice glanced at Patchouli, who looked like she could pass out at any second. "My name is Alice," she said, waving her hand and allowing Patchouli to finally fall to the ground in an unconscious heap, "I'm Adam's mother."

"Adam's mommy?" Flandre asked, stepping out from behind the dresser, "I thought Patchy made him."

"She helped," Alice answered, glaring at the magician behind her.

Flandre followed her gaze, "what did you do to her?"

"Punished her," the magician said. She could feel Shanghai's disapproving gaze boring into the back of her skull, threatening to burst from between her eyes, "she did something bad."

Flandre's first instinct was to summon her spear, but Adam would never forgive her if she hurt his mommy. You never did that to somebody you loved without good reason, "why?" she prodded, "what did Patchy do?"

Alice found her lips curling into a snarl, "your sister had Patchouli and Meiling drown him," she angrily spat out the words, it was hard enough to think about, "they took Adam from me... from _us_."

Flandre's thoughts started to grow frantic. She knew it was bad, she could feel her stomach twisting at the knowledge of something bad happening to Adam. They had only now gotten close, there was so much she wanted to do! Yet... here was the person claiming to be his mom, telling her that he was gone, and as much as she tried to deny it, the words rang true. "He's... where is he?"

"The river Sanzu," Alice answered, her words quavering, "he might as well be dead."

"H-he'll come back!" Flandre retorted, "he promised! He's been really good about that, really punctual too! W-we can just wait until tonight, he'll be here, I promise!"

Alice stepped forward, her gaze blurred from tears desperate to be freed. She reached out and gently pet the younger vampire, "I'm so sorry I'm the one telling you this, Flandre," Alice let out a shaky breath, "he's not coming tonight."

Flandre shook her head and swat Alice's hand away, "that's not true! He'll come back! I know he will! He promised me! He keeps his promises!" she could feel the lump in her throat getting bigger, and the knot in her stomach tightened like a noose, "why are you saying such mean things about your son?" she whined, "why don't you believe in him?!"

"If it was within his power, he would," Alice said, "I know he would come back, but the place he was sent never lets go."

"Liar! He's okay! You're just trying to take him from me!" the younger Scarlet summoned her spear, Lævateinn, to her side, "stop trying to trick me! He's coming back!"

Alice took a step back, "Flandre I-"

"You!"

Remilia and Sakuya had arrived on the scene, the Scarlet Devil herself brandishing her crackling crimson lance, "I want you out of my house!"

"Not until I punish you!" Alice whipped around and held her hand out. The two went rigid, and were forcefully drug before the Alice and the stupefied Flandre.

"Wh-what the hell is this?!" the Scarlet Devil shrieked, absolutely red in the face, "do you know who I am?!" If she was struggling, Alice's twisted magic made it hard to tell.

"My puppet, as of now," Alice retorted coolly, "now kneel," she knew this would be the ultimate slap in the face, she knew that Remilia submitting, even under duress, was something she would never forget.

Alice wanted that poison to fester in her, so she understood on the slightest level what she was feeling having learned Adam's fate.

The younger Scarlet felt no love for her sister after recent events, but even she didn't understand what was happening. It was all going too fast, she was still coming to grips with all the horrible things Alice was telling her. She just watched this all happen, unable to take a side. Remilia was demanding that Flandre help her, but the vampire felt no inclination to do so. She was getting her just desserts, Flandre could have told her it was a long time coming as far as she was concerned.

However, as much as she enjoyed watching Remilia suffer and squirm, she knew the best person to tell her what happened to Adam was her sister.

"I want to know," Flandre told Alice, "make her tell me what happened to Adam."

Alice looked at Remilia and snapped her fingers. The Scarlet Devil retched violently, convulsing as the answer was physically ripped from her, "th-the Sanzu!" the vampire's spittle flew through the air, "the one place he couldn't escape!"

"Patchouli?" Alice made a motion for the comatose heap of a magician to rise..

The pale magician let out a grunt, suddenly reanimating at Alice's behest, "d-don't waste your time struggling, Remilia," her head was forcibly wrenched in Flandre's direction, "the Sanzu river is the Gensokyo equivalent of the Styx, once you fall beneath the waves, you are lost."

Flandre quivered, like a cold breeze had embraced her being as she stared at Patchouli, her eyes growing glassy, "why?!" she shrieked, stamping her foot violently, "what did he do to any of you?!"

Patchouli remained silent, knowing her reasoning was simply faulty. _Go figure, _she thought, _the one time I make a play on hope alone and I lose_.

"It's because of me, isn't it?!" Flandre shouted, her attention switching to her sister, "you can't stand me being happy! You can't stand me having something that doesn't have your hooks in it!" she finally conjured her spear and slapped it against the floor, searing the pristine rug, "no more! You took the person I love from me, this time I take something from you!"

Alice quirked a brow at the younger Scarlet as she paced in front of Remilia, who was still snarling bitterly. "Get up!" Flandre snapped, "get up!" her head snapped in Alice's direction, the bones in her neck popping loudly, "let her go, now! This has been a long time coming."

Alice couldn't feel apprehensive, but the fire in Flandre's eyes convinced her. Her hand dropped to her side and she flexed her fingers, freeing Remilia from her bonds.

"I've never been so thoroughly humiliated in all my life," the Scarlet Devil spat as she rose to her feet, "danmaku is too good for you," with an expert flick of the wrist Gungnir was summoned in her waiting hand, "I'll give you one chance to-" she gasped when a wad of spit slapped her cheek. Hand trembling, Remilia ripped off her hat and wiped the mess off of her face, "just for that, I'm not getting you a present for Christmas."

Flandre screamed and charged her sister, tackling her through the door. She wrapped her arms around Remilia's abdomen and flapped her wings, driving her sister into the stone wall just beyond. The Scarlet Devil grabbed her sister's pigtail and yanked on it, forcing Flandre to release her, then Flandre bit Remilia's arm and started yanking on her hair.

"Why do you hate me so much?!" Flandre shrieked, headbutting the Scarlet Devil and bloodying her nose. While her sister was stunned, the blonde vampire grabbed her foe by the ankles and threw her down the dark catacombs, "what did I do?!"

"You think you're _so_ innocent!" Remilia shouted, willing Gungnir to her side, "I bet you can't even remember all the things you did—why we had to keep moving all over Europe!" the vampire hunkered down, leveled Gungnir, and charged. Flandre met her halfway, Lævateinn at the ready. Both lances hit their mark, nailing each sister in the gut and knocking them to the ground.

Flandre ripped Gungnir out of her gut and hopped to her feet. Seeing that Remilia had mirrored her move, she grabbed the spear with both hands and swung as hard as she could. The Scarlet Devil used Lævateinn to meet this strike, and when the two weapons clashed together, wicked sparks and flame burst from the point of contact, lighting up the stone halls in a fantastic display of color. "Let me tell you something!" Remilia shouted over the chaos, "you're the reason we're here at all! Our last refuge, because you kept ruining every other chance we had!"

"_Liar!_" the younger Scarlet shrieked, parrying and sweeping her wings into Remilia's legs, kicking them out from under her, "I've been in this stupid dungeon as long as I can remember!"

"Whose fault is that?!" Remilia tucked her legs and kicked her sister in the face, "if you think _I'm_ the deluded one, I guess it runs in the family!" She landed on her feet and slapped Gungnir against the ground, creating an intense flash.

The battle raged and the mansion shook, but down below all was morose and silent.

Patchouli felt the rigidity of her body fade, and collapsed to her knees. She was surprised when she caught herself, and immediately looked upon Alice. That woman, so full of rage, had visibly slumped, the indignation and fury replaced with sorrow. The pale magician's eyes darted to Sakuya, who was also free, but she had simply taken a seat on Flandre's bed. Patchouli returned her attention to the bitter woman in front of her, "Alice," she started.

"I don't want to hear it, Patchouli," came the response, almost a wisp of wind from how quiet and resigned it was, relying on the stale air to carry the meager words. She opened her mouth several more times, but nothing passed her lips, her mind just hazed every time she tried speaking.

"I cannot understand," Sakuya said mutely, "she couldn't even place a reason for doing something so horrible, she just did it," the maid found herself wringing her slender hands, "I didn't get to make things right, I didn't get to say anything to him, he was just-..." she felt a hand place itself on her shoulder, "I'm sorry, Alice. If there was anything I could do, I would!"

"You did nothing wrong, Sakuya," Alice said, "there is no nice way of rejecting someone." The mansion shook violently once more, teasing a sigh from the Romanian, "I'm leaving," she said, "you will not hear from me again."

"I miscalculated," Patchouli said, "I do not expect you to forgive me, but if I did not send him there Remilia would have on her own. I thought I would have at least had a chance-"

"There's no room for what-ifs anymore," Alice said, grabbing Shanghai and making for the exit, "there's no room for anything else."

Back above, the Scarlet sisters were making an absolute mess of their home. The conflict had left the confined spaces of the basement, and had moved to the open foyer.

Remilia conjured red chains that snaked for Flandre, coiling around one of her legs as she tried to take off. She swung Lævateinn, cleaving through them like they were immaterial as her sister made her next move. Remilia snapped Gungnir in two and tossed the pieces into the air. Those pieces multiplied and multiplied above her, creating one hundred sparking red lances. "I hope you enjoyed yourself, you unrepentant brat!"

Before Flandre could even think about retorting the crackling javelin storm hurled forth. She parried one, another bored into her shoulder. Her arm snapped up only to be impaled by another, and another. She was against the wall now, ten of the hundred spears effectively nailing her to the mansion's walls. The younger vampire could feel the blood building in her mouth, and took great care to spit it in her sister's direction.

Smugly, Remilia let the bloody spitball fall a tad short as she made her way over. She picked up one of the Gungnir copies, and then she picked up Lævateinn, which sat below Flandre's feet. "I guess it's true what they say about discipline, sometimes the dead horse needs a good beating," with a flap of her wings she lifted off to reach Flandre's level, who refused to make any eye contact. "I take no pleasure in this, I assure you, but I have every intention of finishing this little spat you started!"

"I started... I started nothing!" Flandre screamed, the gems on her wings flashing brightly. The lances impaling her faded into nothing, and she launched off of the wall, tackling Remilia to the ground. "All you care about is your reputation, all you cling to is a nobility that doesn't matter!" she grabbed Gungnir and Lævateinn, ripping them out of her sister's hands, "well hear this!" she drove both lances through Remilia and deep into the ground, "**my name is Flandre Scarlet, and I am not your slave!**"

For good measure, she wrenched both blades deeper into her sister, splitting the pristine marble floors. Remilia's eyes rolled into the back of her head, and her face fell as her body went limp. The younger Scarlet looked down at her hands, immediately wrenching them away from Lævateinn and Gungnir in disgust. She shuddered as she beheld her work, backing into the wall she was just impaled on moments prior.

When Alice arrived on the scene, Flandre expected something, anything, but instead the Romanian and her doll hurried through the giant hole where the front door used to be, past the unconscious China. "W-wait!" Flandre called, following Alice out, "where are you going?"

"Home," Alice said flatly, "there's nothing for me here."

"I don't have anything either!" Flandre said, stopping on the porch as Alice lifted off of the ground and into the sunlight. "Let me go with you!"

She got no response.

Flandre's wings went limp as Alice's form shrunk further and further away. She was alone again. She tried to understand the woman, she was greiving, she probably didn't want anyone with her right now.

Her thoughts drifted to Adam. All of this over one of the few people to offer her real kindness, that took the time to understand her, to trust her. She gave him her heart, and she wouldn't just abandon him like everyone else seemed happy to. She just needed to find this Sanzu river. She just had to go there and get him! That would be easy, she could swim just fine! Everyone said he couldn't die, he's probably down there waiting to be rescued! Flandre scanned the ruined floor of the foyer, spotting coats, hats, and her quarry, a white parasol. She quickly nicked it and stepped out of the mansion she called home for what felt like the last time.

She would find Adam, and she wouldn't let anything get in her way.

* * *

_I was just really petering out by the end here. I have so much more to write, I need a fresh chapter to recollect myself._

_So close, gotta finish this._

_I should have known it would be a fool's errand to try and force the story to end at a certain point, you can see shreds of it hither and thither. The story ends when it wills it._

_See you all for the last, last chapter._


	22. The Monster We Made

_This is it._

_Thank you._

* * *

When Marisa woke up today, she didn't feel all that right.

It wasn't often she felt so antsy, the last time she felt like she needed to get up and about this bad was back when Adam was a wee pup.

She wasn't even entirely sure why she felt the urge to get up, nothing was pulling her in any real direction, so at a loss, the magician went to the one person who always gave her good advice.

"Hey Reimu, you in here?" the magician called, brazenly inviting herself into the darkened shrine. There were no candles lit, and Reimu's quarters yielded no sign of the shrine maiden. "Huh," the magician opted to wander back outside and take a seat on the shrine steps, a thoughtful frown on her face, "I wonder what she's up to."

The next ten minutes were spent waiting for Gensokyo's number one to show up, but much to Marisa's dismay, she never returned. She needed more counseling about life things, where else was she expected to get that?!

"As good an excuse as any to see Alice," and with that she lifted off, unable to place what felt wrong.

The short trip just allowed that anxiety to fester in her gut, and Marisa kept having to swallow a lump that rose in her throat every few seconds. Things were really, really off today, especially that huge cloud of mist that was hanging around-

Wasn't that the summer mist that Remilia conjured?

Well, that was the assumption everyone made. Nobody needed to see the Scarlet Devil had adopted a big scaly dork and wouldn't let him go.

Yet the question remained, why was the mist that had beaten the summer sun in a totally different spot? Maybe Remilia tried putting wheels on her mansion again.

Marisa remembered helping with that.

Well, more like sabotaging and nicking a few antiques in the commotion.

Upon touching down at Alice's, the first thing Marisa noted was that the front door had been ripped off its hinges. She immediately pulled her reactor from her pocket, letting the device warm up as she carefully made her way inside.

"Alice?" the magician called, peering around the darkened rooms. The place was an absolute mess, it looked like all the Hourai dolls went on vacation, and busy-body Shanghai decided to take an extended lunch.

There was thread and stuffing everywhere, which made Marisa's stomach churn. She really hoped these weren't the innards of people she knew.

A commotion upstairs gave Marisa some measure of bearing. Her reactor now a comfortable warmth in her palms, the magician slowly ascended the steps to the second floor, and that was when she heard a voice.

She couldn't make out a single word, however, it merely sounded like distressed blubbering. There was now piles of stuffing and thread strewn across the halls as she neared Alice's room. She was ready to kick down the door when she spotted Shanghai.

Marisa didn't know the doll was capable of looking so depressed. She was just huddled up by Alice's door, looking positively crushed by something. "Shanghai?" Marisa asked softly, "is Alice okay?"

The doll regarded Marisa briefly before returning her gaze to the floor, "no."

"I missed you so much... but you're home now."

Marisa blinked, leaning against the door to pick up the new voice again, which was most certainly Alice's.

"I'll never let you go, I'll keep you in my embrace forever."

Boy she sounded upset over something. Was she talking to Adam?

It would explain the front door being liberated from its usual spot.

Hesitantly, Marisa tried opening the door. She made sure to throw a quick spell at the knob so it wouldn't draw any undue attention, she didn't need to barge in on their talk. It was clearly important.

What Marisa saw was not what she imagined.

Dolls, hundreds of dolls were scattered around Alice's room. Little black dolls with wide yellow eyes, all of whom turned their heads to regard Marisa when she peeked through the door. She flinched, but decided to step in, spotting Alice hunched over a table.

The Romanian peered over her shoulder, her eyes red and puffy. She exhaled and managed a weak smile, "Marisa," she greeted, "we're so happy you came down."

The younger magician quirked a brow, "_we_?"

Alice nodded with a grim smile on her face, "yes, Adam and me," she turned around, brandishing another black doll with its arm half-stitched on. It weakly lifted its head, regarding Marisa with the same blank stare its brothers offered. "I have him home again."

Marisa felt her skin starting to crawl from all this scrutiny, this was doubled by Alice's behavior. "Alice, I want you to talk to me, can we speak in private?"

The Romanian shook her head, "I can't do that now, not enough time," she placed the unfinished doll on her desk and returned to work, "I need to fix Adam," with three quick moves she finished, polishing off her efforts by kissing the doll on the head, "there you are, honey, you can go back to the others now.

Marisa shuddered as she watched the black... watched the_ Adam doll_ wobble to its feet and hop off of Alice's desk, beelining past Marisa and leaving the room.

Alice wiped her red eyes, "he loves Shanghai so much, even though she's been so mean to him lately. She just keeps hurting him, and then he comes back to me to get fixed."

This was more than just sick, Marisa needed to be careful,"Alice, what's wrong?"

"I'm just so happy," Alice said shakily, "my baby's home," she made a sweeping gesture to every Adam doll.

"Alice what happened to Adam?" the younger magician prodded, "where's Adam, _our_ Adam?"

Alice visibly shuddered, hastily picking up an Adam doll that happened to be close by, "h-he's here, see?" the pained expression on her face was proof enough of the farce, let alone the rather shoddily made stuffed doll.

"Get away!"

Next thing Marisa knew that same Adam doll that made his exit wandered back in, his recently repaired arm missing. "Oh no!" Alice cried, carelessly dropping the Adam doll in her arms in favor of the "wounded" one, "I-I'll talk to Shanghai, I promise!" she placed the thing back on her desk and went back to work.

"Alice! Wake up and listen to me!" Marisa snapped. Alice's desk shook violently as the Romanian whipped around, her hand welded to the table. The color was visibly draining from her face. "I'm begging you! Talk to me! Where is Adam?!"

The Romanian's eyes started welling, she blinked once and they started streaming down her face, "he's gone!" she cried, "th-they took him from me!"

Marisa's first reaction was a stupefied "what?"

"The Sanzu!" Alice shouted, causing the dolls to glance between each other nervously, "they took him to the Sanzu, they tried killing him!" she shuddered as one doll wandered close, kicking it away in disgust, "my baby... my baby is gone!"

That was when something in Marisa just broke.

"You... you promised..."

Alice flinched, retreating shamefully, "I-I know I did-"

"You promised nobody would die! Least of all him!" the magician snapped, her eyes now equally red, "you promised me he'd have a happy life! Where is he now, Alice?!"

"H-He's not-!" Alice paused, she sounded like Patchouli.

"He might as well be!" Marisa retorted, her words bearing a sting of familiarity, "you did this! All of it!"

"No!" Alice protested, "I didn't mean for any of this, I just wanted-!"

"You ruined his life!"

"**Liar**!" the Romanian shouted, and all the dolls shot to their feet.

Marisa clenched her teeth, ignoring the insulting imitations, "and now? Now you breed an army of fakes and pretend nothing happened. He'd be disgusted if he saw you now!"

"Get out!" Alice stomped her foot petulantly, "get out get out get out GET OUT!"

All of the dolls left their perches and barreled toward Marisa, she shrieked in terror and ran for her life as a hundred little Adam dolls erupted from Alice's room like a torrent. So terrified was she, that the young magician brandished her reactor, and with a "master spark!" blasted a hole in the wall. Her broom lifted into view, and Marisa snatched it, letting it carry her off as the black dolls poured out of the wall in a futile pursuit.

"It's not my fault!" Alice shrieked, hugging herself as she dropped to her knees, "it's not my fault! _It's not my fault_!" she let out an anguished wail as she collapsed to the ground, "I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"

=][=

Remilia Scarlet was in a terrible mood.

Adam was gone, Flandre was gone, the house was a complete mess...

Everything just went to hell because of her.

She was awoken rather violently when Sakuya pried Gungnir and Lævateinn out of her body. When Sakuya told her Flandre was gone, it was like some kind of haze was lifted from her mind. Suddenly she could think clearly, and she realized just how far she'd gone.

A Scarlet was supposed to have tact, a Scarlet was supposed to be in control.

She'd demonstrated neither if memory was anything to go by. As she stewed in her room, all she could think of was what she should do next. Flandre hated her, Patchouli had become more distant, and Sakuya herself seemed more quiet than usual.

At least, that was the initial assessment.

She found Sakuya later sobbing quietly into Adam's tattered suit, the one from his first growth spurt. She'd kept it as a memento, now a relic of his ever being here to begin with.

Over and over, the last few days replayed in her head, as she tried to figure out what started this mad descent. She couldn't place it, yet something was so intolerably uncanny, it was like those _Where's Wally_ books Flandre had. Somewhere in the big picture, was a detail that she couldn't place.

What was wrong with this?

"Mistress," Sakuya said, interrupting her thoughts, "you have a visitor."

Remilia opened her eyes, peering at Sakuya coldly. "Alice?"

The maid shook her head.

"Marisa?"

"No."

"The Red-White?"

"Thankfully no," Sakuya said, stepping aside and revealing a girl in markedly similar attire to Reimu's, but her striking green mane dashed that notion.

The girl stared at Remilia, clearly starstruck, and it took a moment for her to say anything. "O-oh!" she said dumbly, "sorry, I just wasn't sure what to expect!"

The Scarlet Devil was too sour to invest in curiosity, "speak your business quickly, I'm not in the mood for games."

"R-right!" the girl fumbled with her words like Adam used to. The Vampire chewed on her lip as the girl bowed. "Kochiya Sanae, I'm the shrine maiden of the Moriya Shrine."

Remilia quirked a brow, "the Moriya Shrine?"

"The ones that tried destroying Reimu's livelyhood," Sakuya helpfully supplied.

"Oh yes," the Scarlet Devil chimed flatly, "I remember you lot, I applaud your audacity," she offered a halfhearted clap, "I take it you're here to destroy me? I warn you now, I might go down easier than usual."

Sanae flushed, shaking her head violently, "o-of course not! I'm here on important business!"

"Then spit it out!" Remilia barked.

Sanae nodded nervously, "h-have you experienced anything strange lately? Anything unfortunate, be it bad luck or a sudden, horrible death? Perhaps bad decisions or food poisoning?" the shrine maiden asked, "have you seen an unnaturally thick mist lingering anywhere?"

Sakuya and Remilia exchanged a glance.

"What are you talking about?" Remilia asked.

"I'll take that as a yes," Sanae said, "we have a small problem back at the shrine," she began, rubbing her arm nervously, "you see, Suwako and Kanako aren't the only gods at the shrine. Most of them are content to do nothing or bicker with each other, but some of them like to leave the shrine and cause mischief. I-it can be anything really, fires, tripping on nothing, spoiled grain, even... stillbirths..." Sanae's face fell for a moment, "they tend to stick around Youkai Mountain, but some of them have been getting a tad... adventurous."

Now too curious for her own good, Remilia clasped her hands and leaned forward, "go on."

=][=

Meanwhile, Hakurei Reimu was in a bad mood all on her own. It wasn't often she got a summons, it wasn't often when that annoying flying rat Aya was the delivery girl.

Hell, that had never happened before. The place of meeting, however, was what really soured the shrine maiden today. The summons itself was anonymous, but a request to appear at the Moriya Shrine of all places was both an affront and a challenge as far as she was concerned.

She had quickly gathered her belongings and her spell-cards, fully expecting that bitch Kanako to demand a rematch. She briefly considered inviting Marisa to help stomp those stupid goddesses again, but decided against it. She'd been fostering a winning streak that was now several years long. With her luck, she could probably beat them all at once.

The trip was short, as Reimu wanted this nonsense dealt with quickly. Her ire flared as she cleared the shrine's walls, for the moment she did she saw Kanako standing outside, clearly waiting for her. The goddess' expression was hard, clearly just as irritated as Reimu was.

The shrine maiden landed across the courtyard, steeling herself for a danmaku battle, recalling all the spell-cards Kanako had used in their last battle. She remembered all the weaves and timing, the patterns and where she could squeeze through.

"It's been a while."

"It has," Reimu responded bitterly, "was beating you the first time not enough, Kanako?" she asked, flashing a scroll, "you have a lot of nerve demanding I come all the way here."

"As much as I would enjoy putting your sweet face beneath six feet of earth, I'm not the one who summoned you," the Yamato Goddess retorted tartly, "once our business is done, however, I'll be happy to oblige any violent, barbaric notions that may be stewing in that fat head of yours," she flinched when a small hand grabbed her by the bicep.

"Back off, Kanako," the newcomer snarled.

The goddess bit back her own, retreating a few feet to make space for the newcomer. Reimu recognized the blonde-haired girl, even without her signature hat. "Suwako," the shrine maiden greeted, she went the extra mile and tried not to sound quite as rude.

"Hello Reimu," the goddess said, offering a light bow, "thank you for coming on such short notice. I know you have many questions, and I'll answer them all," she made a gesture for the shrine maiden to follow as she turned on her heel, "please come inside."

Reimu wasn't sure about following, but the indignant shove Kanako got as Suwako passed her satisfied her enough to comply.

The shrine was dark, Reimu could see the familiar forms of the mishaguji lazing about hither and thither, taking forms that barely amounted to a meter. "You want to tell me what this is about?"

Suwako sat down at a table, as did Kanako. Reimu cautiously joined them, her eyes trained on a mishaguji that had slithered over out of curiosity. She knew these wicked beasts, what they were capable of. The serpent flicked its tongue at her, and Reimu quickly shooed it. Thankfully it was one of the lazy ones, as it knew it keep its distance.

"Tea?" Suwako offered, pouring herself a glass.

"I'd rather not get poisoned," Reimu retorted flatly, "now what do you want from me?"

Kanako slammed her fist down on the table impatiently, "are you listening to this tramp? We're wasting time with all this word-mincing! We need to be out there tracking down those rebellious-!"

"My patience with you is wearing thin, Kanako!" Suwako snapped, effectively silencing her compatriot, "we have invited Reimu here, she is under our hospitality and she will get it!" she returned her attention to the shrine maiden, "I'm sorry, we did not invite you here to start fights."

"Your belligerent cow implies otherwise," Reimu snapped, "you have ten seconds before I draw."

Kanako moved to rise, but was promptly seated by Suwako, "we need your help."

"Do not."

"Regardless of what my worse half may have to say about the matter, the mishaguji are not her jurisdiction, they're mine," Suwako continued, "and as it stands I'm having trouble dealing with them."

"With the things you let those demons get away with, I'm shocked you're implying you can control them at all," Reimu countered, "I won't forget what they did in the human village."

"The stillbirths were regrettable, but by the time we found out it was too late," Suwako said, "I have one thousand mishaguji to watch over, I cannot see everywhere."

"Better hang up your title of goddess then."

Kanako snarled loudly, but was kept at bay by Suwako's glare. "I know your opinion of us isn't high, but I'm running out of options."

"You sure are."

"If you can stow the snide comments for a moment and let me get to my point," Suwako said, taking a sip of tea, "there are three types of mishaguji. There are the apathetic ones, which you see around the shrine even now. There are those that fight amongst each other, testing their strength and trying to establish some sort of hierarchy, the strongest among them regularly accompanies Sanae."

"Which is a mistake," Kanako snarled through grit teeth.

"As you remind me every day," Suwako responded, "and finally there is a sect of the mishaguji that still cling to their old ways, sewing pain and misfortune wherever they go. As it so happens, Sanae's... personal companion warned us of them, that they had been traveling to places normally untouched by their shadow. The human village was their work, and it seems they're at it again."

"And you want my help tracking them," Reimu said.

"Verily," the mountain goddess answered, "you know Gensokyo better than us, and we'd like your help in tracking these vile beasts down before they cause more harm."

"Only if I get to banish them myself," the shrine maiden said flatly, "if I'm to believe you weren't involved in that evil at all, then too much innocent blood is on their account. If you have any sense of humanity within you, you'll let me avenge the slaughter."

Suwako and Kanako exchanged a glance, "if that's what it takes," the former offered.

"Let's just get this over with," the Yamato goddess grumbled.

=][=

It was so cold down here.

Loud, it was really loud too. Everyone kept screaming in his face and trying to act scary like it mattered. Adam cared little about the show the spirits were putting on as they drug him ever deeper into the filthy waters of his new prison, he was more focused on boiling in his own anger. Betrayal was all that was on his mind, and of all people it was Patchouli, he thought he could trust her.

"I let my guard down," he mouthed, the water reducing his words to soundless bubbles.

He thought he finally learned who he could trust, who he could be around and who to keep at an arm's length. Yukari, Patchouli, Flandre, mama, these were people he thought he could trust, while everyone else he was better off avoiding when possible.

How woefully wrong he was.

He remembered the "new" Koakuma. The old one just disappeared, never to be heard from again. He briefly considered sharing such a fate, and in hindsight he was right on the money. Adam couldn't help wondering if mama was already working on his replacement, he wondered if they would be put through the same sick farce, plunged into the world and the role Adam left open.

Maybe they would treat the new one better, make it better than him too. Everyone would like the new one, and laugh at the memory of poor, pathetic Adam.

The homonculus' muscles tightened as his blood boiled.

He could hear them all laughing at him, jeering and teasing him. What memories he had of the life before, he remembered wanting to be left alone, but instead he was ripped from any notion of that in favor of a very... painful existence.

His thoughts drifted to Yukari, one of the few people in his life he still thought of with any admiration or positivity. She wasn't all high and mighty like the others, she wasn't deceptively demure like Sakuya, she didn't feign love like mama, she was her own thing. He couldn't help wondering what things would be like if he had just agreed to go with her, would he just trade one master for another? Or, perhaps, he could have some semblance of his own life.

It was too late to wonder now. After hours of struggle Adam knew there was no escape from this place. Maybe when he finally hit the bottom he would be left in peace.

The homonculus started feeling a pressure on his body, and not the pressure the dead people were putting on him to keep him sinking. He felt like he was being crushed, he couldn't even see anything—there was simply no light left for his eyes to use.

It was getting very hard to breathe now.

He wondered if this was what it felt like to die. He'd read about it so many times, but he was never close to experiencing it himself. It just felt like sleeping to him, but this growing suffocation seemed to fit the bill.

Then Adam hit something solid. Was this the bottom? He groped the surface with what limited movement he had. It felt like... bones—bones and loose stone. This must be it.

It would be incredibly uncomfortable, but Adam could see himself staying down here.

_ Look at you._

The screaming spirits now made sounds of terror as they dispersed, but they were all cut short one by one. From what Adam could hear, none of them escaped.

_ A puppet, tangled in his own strings._

Two red embers flickered into existence before Adam. Then another pair in the background. And then there were more, this time closer. They were everywhere now, and Adam could just barely make out the looming figure in front of him. It leaned closer, scrutinizing the homonculus intently.

_ You do not really want to be here, do you?_

Adam's mouth outran his brain, "I do not understand-" he paused, surprised he could hear his own voice beneath the water. Just a moment ago his voice was gone, was this their doing?

_ It is important you speak to us._

Well that solves one riddle.

_ We watched the betrayal, the injustice of it all._

The figure glided past Adam, and another brushed alongside him as it neared his ear.

_ What if we could offer you an escape?_

"To what end?" Adam asked the serpentine shapes, "there is nothing for me in this world, returning to it-"

_ They took everything from you._

Adam felt something coiling around his neck, a pair of small ruby eyes peering into his.

_ We can offer you an escape._

The eyes in front of Adam flickered out, and the noose around his neck disappeared.

_ We can give you the power to create a new life for yourself._

Adam felt unbearably cold now, but he felt... embraced, snug, protected even.

_ All you need to do is help us when the time comes._

Adam felt something welling inside of him, an anger he hadn't felt before. It wasn't rampant and consuming, it was cool and focused, directed at those who betrayed, those who mistreated, those who abandoned him. They always had the power, he was forced to obey.

But if _he_ had the power, he could make things the way he wanted to be.

He would see Flandre again.

Adam felt different. He brought his hand up, staring at it and barely making out the cool shape coiling around it and fusing with his hide. He felt bigger, he felt stronger, and the pressure on his body suddenly evaporated.

Adam rose to his feet, feeling a strength unlike any other.

_ What do you say?_

"You will help me get out?" Adam asked, and was answered by several sharp hisses of affirmation, "you will help me find them," he said- nay, _demanded_. He was answered by another hail of hisses, "you will help me take _everything_ from them!" he heard them cheer, and felt galvanized by their chorus.

_We will help you hurt them._

* * *

_I did it._

_I finally finished a story, and yet things are just beginning for old Dok._

_I just wanted to thank my buddy Roy, for always giving me advice, mister Mephiles666 in all matters I approached him over, and my old friend Horror for offering his perspective as well. I know none of you actually read it here, but..._

_Also, thank you to everyone who's bothered getting this far, and doubly so for everyone who gave me a review and encouraged me to get this far at all, your words are diamonds to me. I've had a lot of fun, and I can't wait for the next time we meet again._

***The Sequel to I've Got Strings is now available! You can access Sleepless from my profile!***


	23. Bonus Chapter - Te Iubesc

_Hey all, Dok here again._

_Been busy working, but I noticed in these last couple months I had gotten another thousand views after finishing the story, so I thought it would be cool to whip up a bonus chapter for you all in my spare time._

_And when I say spare time I mean I wrote this in about two hours._

_It's not meant to be significant, just something extra for your enjoyment._

* * *

She longed for a second chance.

Alice felt almost dead knowing he was gone. It was so silly, honestly. She was barely a part of his life, people like Sakuya and Patchouli surely had a much bigger impact on him.

Yet every time he looked at her, and she saw those eyes which radiated love, she knew that she couldn't just leave him be.

It must have been her blood that created these feelings, it stirred old instinct in her, ones she thought long-forgotten. Forgotten? She had never been given the opportunity to feel them, so the fact she did with him must have just meant that her nature as a magician was easily overcome by the love of a child.

_Her child._

"Mama."

Alice let out a groan and rolled over, trying to shoo away the calloused hand that rested on her shoulder, "_mmm_ not now... I wanna sleep..."

"Mama," the hand moved up to her face, brushing away some stray hairs and allowing the sunlight to shine against her firmly shut lids, "it's time to wake up."

"Let me sleep Adam," she whined, rolling over and burying her face in her pillow. There was a pause, and then Alice rolled back over. Her heart was throbbing in her chest, threatening to explode from how furiously it was pumping. She was looking right into his eyes, Adam's milky yellow eyes, _her baby's_ shining eyes. She shot forward and snatched him up, pulling him into a tight, motherly vice. "_Adam_," she croaked, "I-I..." her quavering words keeping her from saying anything, "Adam!" she finally cried, sobbing into his chest.

A familiar hand found its way on Alice's upper back, "please do not cry mama, I didn't mean to upset you..."

"I could never be upset with you!" Alice wailed as her tears ran down Adam's chest, "I can't live without you, how could I ever be mad?!"

"Mama..." Adam let out a soft chirp, still concerned, "please mama don't be so upset," his free hand hugged her head against his chest, and he pressed his muzzle into her soft hair, "please do not be upset mama."

"I love you, I love you," Alice whined, still in hysterics, "I never want to lose you again."

"I'll never leave," Adam responded, "I don't want mama to ever be sad."

The Romanian let out a sad sniffle, holding Adam as closely as she could. His body felt so real, his scales were cold but she could feel the heat flowing through him in tune with his heartbeat.

Her baby was home.

She just had to blink her eyes once, and suddenly the world wasn't so dark anymore.

"Come mama, let's get you dressed," Adam gingerly pulled Alice out of bed, his every move hesitant as she was shaking like a leaf. When he tried to move to the dresser, Alice wouldn't let him go, still clinging to him desperately. He gently stroked her cheek, his eyes overflowing with worry, "mama I need to get your clothes."

"N-no! No! Don't leave me already!" Alice shrieked, yanking him back onto her bed, "I need you! Please!"

Adam hushed her by nuzzling her cheek, stroking her back reassuringly, "if you want to eat you need to get dressed," he pulled away, his gaze stern, "please mama."

Alice's grip was still firm and desperate, "you won't go?"

"Never," Adam answered.

She stared at his eyes for what felt like forever. Against every instinct telling her to hold him close, she let go of him. She opened her mouth, but nothing came out. Adam smiled softly, moving over to the dresser and pulling it open. He fished around in it for a moment, pulling out her summer clothes.

"A-Adam I don't think..." her words fell short when she peered out the window, seeing a deep blue sky and a bright sun shining through.

"I wanted to go outside again," Adam said as he placed Alice's clothes on her bed, "is that okay?"

The magician let out a breath that she wasn't aware she was holding, "o-of course it is, whatever you want."

Alice still couldn't believe that he was home again. She'd dreamed of this day even before the accident, how she longed for him to be a part of the family again. She missed him, Shanghai missed him, the place just felt so empty after he left for the Scarlet Mansion.

She felt sick thinking about that place.

Adam must have drug her outside at some point, the inside of the house was such a blur she blinked and suddenly she was on her porch. She flinched when the sun hit her skin. Gosh she looked so pale now, how long had she been inside? She must have looked like a ghost...

"You look so pretty in the sun, mama."

Alice flushed as Adam lead her further and further away from her home. He was such a sweet boy, she had to briefly imagine him bringing home an equally sweet and kind girl.

"I do not get to see the sun much," Adam mused, "I'm always trapped inside, and the fog always snuffed out its warmth," he stopped under the shade of a large tree, giving it a once-over before nodding. He released Alice's hand and plopped down on the ground, patting the space next to him invitingly.

Alice adjusted her dress and took a seat with the obsidian hulk, her smile growing warmer like the sun as time went on. Moving forward, she'd love to do stuff like this more often. Now that Adam was home, she felt like the possibilities were endless.

Maybe they always were, he just had to remind her.

"You're being awfully quiet," Adam said uncharacteristically, "is something wrong?"

"O-oh no," Alice said, brushing her bangs aside so her child could better see her face, "I'm just overwhelmed, really. I had such an awful dream, I thought I lost you forever, I didn't know what to do and-..." she trailed off as she saw the worried creases on Adam's brow, which grew every second she went on, "oh it doesn't matter anymore! The only thing that matters is that I have you back!" she took his large hand and held it within her own, trying to give him a reassuring smile.

Adam nodded, not entirely convinced, "I will take your word for it," he said, even his voice sounding wary, "you will let me know if something bothers you, right?"

Alice squeezed Adam's hand, "of course I will."

It was small, but his lips were gently tugged into a subtle smile, his teeth barely poking out in that dorky fashion Sakuya told her about, "_Te iubesc,_" he said softly.

"_Si eu te iubesc,_" Alice responded. She gasped as Adam yanked her into his embrace, immediately starting to chirp with that adolescent need. Alice giggled in his arms, "oh you big baby, you get like this every time I say that."

"I can't help it," Adam said weakly, "I just feel happy hearing it."

"Well you better get used to it then," Alice said, snuggling into her boy's chest, "I'm always going to remind you."

Adam nodded softly, "thank you, mama," he responded, his voice beginning to quaver.

Worried, Alice craned her head up, "now it's my turn to ask what's wrong," she observed.

"I sometimes get these fears," he stared into her eyes, his gaze almost sorrowful, "I worry that I'll blink and everything will be gone. I fear that I'll just wake up."

Alice smiled, "well I just woke up from a terrible nightmare, and I have you with me again," she responded, "I think we're in the right world this time."

Adam flinched, letting out a soft "ouch!" he sat up and scanned the grass. Alice did as well, spotting a white serpent slithering into the nearby brush.

"Are you okay?" Alice asked, truthfully not worried in the slightest, "did he startle you?"

Adam nodded, rubbing his thigh, "yes..." he said, sounding confused, "yes he did."

The light of the sun was starting to dim, and a cool breeze flowed over them. Alice shivered a bit, her clothing seeming way to light all of a sudden. "Maybe we should go back inside," Alice suggested, shifting to her feet.

Adam seemed disappointed, but nodded nonetheless, "okay."

Alice couldn't help noticing that Adam took a bit longer to get to his feet, but she dashed any thoughts that came about from the sight. She took his hand and took the lead this time, trying to make a brisk pace back for home. She could see the clouds hanging overhead, it looked like it was about to start raining.

The Romanian felt a bit of a tug, and she slowed a bit to get a look at Adam. Somehow, he was looking a bit pale. That wasn't entirely appropriate, something about him just looked wrong, "Adam?" Alice asked, stopping dead in her tracks at the sight of him.

Adam stumbled a bit, almost walking into Alice, "sorry," he said, more like mumbled, "I got distracted."

Alice nodded, trying to stow her worries again. He'd been through worse, he probably just didn't want to go inside. Then she felt a few raindrops hit her bare arms, "come on, I don't want to get soaked."

She could see her house in the distance, but it felt like an eternity to actually get to it. It almost felt like every step she took meant she had to take two more to get home.

Alice knew something was wrong with Adam now, his pace had slowed to a crawl, his steps labored. The magician took a look at the spot where he had rubbed his thigh previously, and gasped at the sight. There was a large grey spot, it looked like his scales had rotted off and now all that was left was exposed flesh, "A-Adam?" Alice asked, her voice quavering, "you're okay, right?"

Adam simply waved her off, "of course," he said, his breathing growing labored, "it's fine, it's fine."

It didn't sound convincing at all.

It was a struggle to drag Adam the rest of the way, her grip on him was starting to slip as the sprinkling rain turned into a soft drizzle, wetting their hands. It was like his body was coated in butter, Alice simply couldn't keep a sure grip on him.

The Romanian's heart was starting to pound, she could see his scales just falling off of him with each step, the rot running up his leg and across his chest, "Adam we need to hurry!" she cried, "you're not well, something's wrong!"

"I'm fine," Adam said, the sound of the rain almost drowning out his voice, "go ahead, I'll catch up."

"And let you just hobble alone?" Alice asked incredulously, "I don't think so!"

"You don't need to get soaked for my sake," Adam said, his voice barely carrying enough to reach Alice's ears, "just go on."

"No!" Alice finally snapped, digging her nails into what scales remained on Adam's arm, "I'm not losing you again!"

Adam mouthed something, the rain was pouring so hard Alice couldn't hear him.

"Come on! We're almost there!" Alice looked over her shoulder, spotting her house in the distance. Her heart sank at how far she needed to go, it was like they covered no ground at all. She looked down, she was ankle-deep in water, "Adam I need you to hold on, I'm going to-" she gasped when a sharp tug pulled him out of her grip. She fell in the water trying to grasp his hand again, but he simply slipped out from between her fingers.

Adam's limp body began to drift away faster and faster as the water rose, and Alice struggled against the current to catch him, "Adam!" she cried, "Adam please wake up! Listen to me! I can't get you on my own!"

Then a lucky break, he was caught in a large bush that still stood against the raging current. Thanking fate, Alice waded over in the waist deep waves, trying to grab Adam one more time. A white serpent slithered over Adam's form, hissing as it darted for her hand. Alice let out a shriek and yanked her hand away, recognizing it as the one that bit Adam.

The water rose even more, swallowing the bush and freeing Adam's body. He rolled in the water briefly, and several more white serpents slithered out of the muddy water and converged on the graying form of Adam.

Alice's heart almost stopped, "not again! Not again! I won't let you take him! I can't lose my baby like this!" she couldn't even hear her own voice, but she was certain she said it. The water was just roaring too loudly, battering the woman away from Adam's body like it was trying to keep her away. Alice was hit by a particularly fierce wave and was partially submerged, she took on a bit of water, her lungs burning as she struggled back to the surface. She gasped for air just as the rapids pulled her back under.

Then she hit something. Frantically, Alice grabbed it and managed to pull herself free of the current. She gasped once again before hacking violently, coughing up a bit of water as she hauled herself out of the water.

She was back in that damn tree Adam took her to.

Alice looked every which way, trying to see if she could still spot Adam. "Adam!" she cried, her voice cracking, "Adam please!"

There was nothing but a muddy, raging sea.

"Adam!" Alice shot up, drenched in her own sweat. Her heart was threatening to explode out of her chest. She held her hand over her heart, trying to smother the pain as she looked around.

She was back in her room.

Alice shuddered violently, immediately hugging herself to try and suppress it. She let out a soft whine, trying to keep it from growing into an anguished wail.

Why did he torment her so?

* * *

_Now whether or not this nightmare is significant is up to you._

***The Sequel to I've Got Strings is now available! You can access Sleepless from my profile!***


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